The Way It Should Have Been
by Karen8
Summary: Wesley returns to the Enterprise and enlists the help of an unusual holodeck character to help his mother and the captain through a difficult time in their relationship. Sequel to "Her Way."


Title: The Way It Should Have Been  
  
Author: Karen Foy (kfoy@networktrainers.com)  
  
Series: TNG  
  
Rating: [PG]  
  
Codes: P/C, Wes, R, T, Vic Fontaine  
  
Summary: Wesley returns to the Enterprise and enlists the help of an unusual holodeck character to help his mother and the captain through a difficult time in their relationship.  
  
Author's Note: This story is a sequel to "Her Way", which I wrote in the fall of 1999. It is not absolutely necessary to read the first story to understand this one, but it might help. The character Vic Fontaine comes from the DS9 episode "His  
  
Way". He was portrayed in that episode by actor James Darren. Thanks to Kate, Celia and Nan for beta reading and to Nan for the title.  
  
Timeline - This takes place a few months after the movie "Insurrection".  
  
Disclaimer: Paramount, the great and powerful, owns all of Star  
  
Trek. I merely claim this story.  
  
The Way It Should Have Been  
  
The gentle vibration of the floor beneath his feet was familiar and comforting. It had been a long time.  
  
Out of all the places in the universe he had been, this was still his home. Strange, he thought, it's really not the same place, but yet it was. It was a different ship, faster, sleeker than the one of his youth, but it was still home. His family was here.  
  
When the doors of the dimly lit quarters opened, he turned quickly to her as she walked in. She was as beautiful as he had remembered, perhaps even more so. He sensed something different about her immediately. While he had been away, he had been taught many new skills, observation being one of his better-learned abilities. Something was definitely different about his mother, but it was difficult to ascertain exactly what.  
  
She had still not noticed him.  
  
"Mom," he said gently so as not to frighten her by his unexpected presence.  
  
She immediately gasped and turned toward the voice. It was deeper than the one she remembered so well, but she knew it was her son.  
  
"Computer, lights," she commanded into the air. As the room filled with the familiar illumination, Beverly Crusher froze in her place, not knowing if this was real or a dream. It had been so long since she had seen him.  
  
"Wesley," she said quietly, as if a louder sound would somehow make him disappear.  
  
His familiar smile beckoned her to rush toward him as he opened his arms to her embrace. As they held each other tightly, she called out his name softly again as the tears overtook her.  
  
"It's been so long and I've missed you so much."  
  
"I've missed you too, Mom." It was strange holding her like this, stroking her back lightly with his hand until her tears subsided.  
  
So many times as a child, she had been the one to hold him in her arms, to wipe the tears and chase away the hurt. Now, he was no longer a child and realized that he liked the idea of taking care of her.  
  
It had never really entered his mind that his mother needed someone else to take care of her. Even after his father had died, she never showed him any weakness.  
  
She had not really changed, he realized. She was as strong now as she ever had been. He could feel her strength even as she cried in his arms. Only his perception of her had changed. She was human after all.  
  
When she pulled back from him, she flashed him a brilliant smile and squeezed his hands tightly. For several seconds, she just looked at him. He was no longer the boy who left to explore the universe so many years ago.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" She didn't give him time to answer before other questions flowed from her. "Does anyone else know that you're here? How long can you stay?"  
  
He chuckled at the barrage of questions and the excitement of his mother. As he led her to the sofa, he began to answer them one by one.  
  
"Well, I didn't really know I was coming until just a while ago. And no, I haven't seen anyone else." He paused to smile at her and continued gently. "I wanted to see you first. As for how long I'm staying, well, I'm not sure yet. I still have some things I'm working on that I have to get back to soon, but I think I can manage a couple of weeks away."  
  
"Oh God, Wesley, it's good to have you home. Jean-Luc will be so happy to see you. Everyone will." She settled back on the couch and smiled again as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "I've really missed you." She paused a moment to add emphasis to her words.  
  
"Now, tell me all about where you've been, and don't leave out any details. I want to hear it all."  
  
Beverly spent the next few hours listening proudly to tales of his adventures. Whenever Wesley asked his mother about her own life, she would quickly change the subject, putting the focus back on him. Wesley played the dutiful son and indulged his mother. He knew that something was going on that she wasn't ready to tell him about, but he didn't want to push her.  
  
They spoke until late in the night.  
  
Tomorrow, Beverly would let her friends know of his return, but tonight, she didn't want to share her son.  
  
**************  
  
Beverly jumped at the sound of the alarm. It was 06:00, her normal time for getting up, but this morning her body protested. For a moment, she wondered why she was still so tired.  
  
Throwing the covers back, she leapt from the bed and ran to her bedroom door. He was still there, sleeping on the couch where she had left him last night. She breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that it had not been a dream. Wesley had come home. She stood in the doorway for a moment, just smiling at him, and then silently crept back into her room to change. She would let him sleep this morning.  
  
***************  
  
Jean-Luc Picard checked the table one more time before heading toward the replicator. As the chime sounded, he gave the order for the door to open and smiled at the beautiful woman who strolled into his quarters.  
  
"Good morning," he said.  
  
She smiled brightly as she walked over behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist.  
  
"It certainly is," she replied, kissing him lightly on the neck.  
  
He looked over his shoulder and raised his eyebrows slightly. "My, you're in a good mood this morning. Something you're not telling me? You must have had a much better time *alone* last night than I did with the Antican delegates."  
  
She loved his teasing and decided to milk it for all it was worth. "Oh, but I didn't spend the night alone, Captain," she replied with a mischievous grin.  
  
He knew she was baiting him, but decided to play along. He turned around to face her and slipped his arms around her waist, mimicking her earlier gesture. "Oh, really, Doctor?" he replied before placing a small kiss on her throat. "Anyone that I would know?"  
  
"Oh, you've met him once or twice," she giggled. "He's intelligent, tall, extremely handsome, well traveled." She paused for a second to rake her hand lightly over his head. "And he has a *beautiful* head of chestnut hair. As a matter of fact, I left him sleeping in my quarters only a moment ago. Would you like to see him?"  
  
Picard eyed her steadily, but was still grinning. He was quite comfortable with his newfound relationship with the doctor and knew she was teasing him unmercifully.  
  
"I most certainly would like to meet this mysterious man." He returned to his position of nuzzling her neck. "Tell me, what will it take to win back the heart of my fair lady?"  
  
Beverly was really enjoying this. "Hmmm. I'm not so sure about that. He will always have my heart."  
  
Picard stopped his activities and frowned as he looked up at the mischief in her eyes. Her last statement had completely caught him off guard.  
  
She grinned at his expression and had to hold back a laugh before pulling him closer and kissing him on the lips.  
  
"Wesley came home last night."  
  
The look on his face was priceless. She had won their little game and both of them knew it. She had gotten just the reaction she was hoping for as she threw back her head and laughed triumphantly.  
  
A yelp stifled her laugh as his hand quickly slapped her behind. "You are an evil woman, Beverly Crusher."  
  
She smiled back at him and again kissed him softly. "Yes, I am and you love it."  
  
He held her closer. "Indeed, I do. So, when can I see him?"  
  
The playful smile disappeared from her lips and he released her from his grip, confused by her apparent sudden change in mood. Turning, she stepped back toward the dining area.  
  
"I let him sleep in this morning. We talked until quite late last night." She paused a moment before continuing. The smile returned as she continued. "You're going to be so proud of him, Jean-Luc. He's learned so much in the past few years; things we can't even begin to understand. He's visited countless worlds, traveled through time, been to different realities. It's amazing."  
  
Picard finished replicating their breakfast as she spoke and followed her to the table. She continued to tell him of Wesley's adventures and discoveries as they enjoyed their breakfast together. He listened intently to what she told him. Jean-Luc always had a special spot in his heart for the boy. As she spoke, he couldn't help but marvel at the joy in her words. Wesley was lucky to have such a wonderful woman for a parent. He realized that he was lucky to have her in his life as well. Had it not been for the efforts of his senior staff, and a certain holodeck nightclub owner, his life would be very different right now. He might not be on the Enterprise at all by now, and he would not be basking in the light of this beautiful woman who spoke so passionately about her son.  
  
"I'm really looking forward to seeing him, Beverly. You should have invited him to breakfast."  
  
Beverly held her fork in mid-air as she looked up at him shyly, trying to come up with a suitable response to his suggestion.  
  
"Well, I didn't want to rush him into everything at once, Jean-Luc. After all, it's only his first day here. I wanted him to get *used* to things again first. Besides, he needed his rest."  
  
She lowered her eyes again, playing with the suddenly unappetizing food on her plate and hoping that Jean-Luc would not pursue the topic.  
  
Jean-Luc placed his hand on his chin, rubbing his upper lip with his fingers as he studied her for a moment. She knew he was looking at her, but continued to concentrate on her food.  
  
"You didn't tell him, did you?"  
  
Placing the most innocent expression on her face possible, she looked up in mock confusion.  
  
"Tell him what?"  
  
He paused for a moment more before continuing. "You didn't tell him about us."  
  
Beverly sighed and pushed the plate away. "No, I didn't," she said softly, refusing to meet his gaze. When he didn't reply to her confession, she finally looked up at him. He didn't look upset, but that didn't help with her own frustration. Somewhat exasperated by the situation, she stood and began pacing the room.  
  
"What was I supposed to say to him, Jean-Luc? 'It sounds like you've had a wonderful adventure son, and oh, by the way, I'm having wonderful, unbelievable, passionate sex with the *captain*?'"  
  
Picard was amused by her comment, but tried to keep a serious expression on his face. He knew that Beverly was not embarrassed by their relationship, but this was her son she was talking about. Mothers weren't supposed to have sex.  
  
"I think a less direct approach would have sufficed." He watched as she continued to pace the room. "Beverly, he's a grown man. I'm sure he made quite a few *discoveries* of his own that he didn't tell you about last night."  
  
She looked up sharply at his amused look. "Don't even go there, Picard. I'm not ready to think about that yet."  
  
He chuckled and rose from the table to stand behind her, halting her pacing and placing his hands on her shoulders lightly. "Beverly, he's 25 years old. Don't you think he knows a little about *sex* by now? I'm sure he hasn't been that preoccupied with his travels."  
  
She pulled away from his embrace and began to pace again. "I know, but I'm just not ready to think about that yet. To me, he's still my little boy. How am I supposed to tell him about . about. "  
  
"About us?" he finished for her.  
  
"Yes, all right, about us." She threw up her hands. "Okay, I'll admit it, I'm a coward when it comes to things like this."  
  
He halted her pacing again by encircling her waist from behind as he spoke gently into her ear. "Beverly, I don't think he'd be that surprised. He's always known that we were close. He might even be happy for us." The look she gave him over her shoulder told him that she wasn't convinced. He wrapped his arms tighter around her waist and kissed her on the neck repeatedly as he spoke. "Look, I'll make you a deal. We won't be so obvious when he's around until you can tell him properly. I promise not to molest you too much in sickbay if you promise not to grope me under the table at the staff meetings." He gave her a teasing squeeze, which provoked her to slap him lightly on the arm. "Besides, if you wait long enough, you won't have to worry about it. Someone else will tell him for you."  
  
She slapped him again lightly. "You're no help at all." She couldn't help but chuckle a little herself at the absurdity of the situation.  
  
Beverly took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "All right. I'll tell him tonight at dinner."  
  
He gave her another squeeze and a kiss on the neck. "It's settled then. But, right now I think we're both due in the conference room, so we better get going. It wouldn't look right for us to walk in late together. Someone might think something was going on between us."  
  
She laughed at his little joke. Everyone on the ship knew they were a couple, everyone, that is, except for Wesley.  
  
************  
  
He had felt the light touch of her lips on his forehead, but it wasn't enough to wake him fully. The sound of the door closing brought him a little closer to conscienceness and he stretched his arms over his head. His body was a little stiff from sleeping on the couch. Sitting up a little, he noticed the padd on the coffee table beside him and picked it up. It was a note from his mother.  
  
Wesley,  
  
I didn't want to wake you this morning. I had an early breakfast appointment with the captain, so make yourself at home and I'll see you after our staff meeting. The replicator has all your favorite foods programmed in. I've granted you voice access to the replicators and computers if you need anything. There's a comm badge on the table.  
  
It's good to have you home.  
  
Love, Mom  
  
Wesley read over the message several times as his mind began to clear. She was having breakfast with the captain? This wasn't supposed to be happening. Their ritual breakfasts should have stopped after he returned from Ba'ku. In fact, they shouldn't even be speaking to each other privately by now. Something wasn't right. Walking over to the computer on her desk, he called up the ship's public logs for the last few months.  
  
Hurriedly, he changed into some new clothes and headed out the door. He needed to find some answers. Rounding a corner, he spotted a familiar and startled face.  
  
"I don't believe it. Wesley, is that you? My God, how long have you been on board?"  
  
The counselor gave him a hug as she approached him in the corridor.  
  
"Hi Deanna. It's good to see you. I got here last night. When I got up this morning, Mom had already gone. You don't know where she is, do you?"  
  
"Well, she's probably with the captain. They usually have breakfast together. I could call her if you want me to."  
  
She sensed a sudden feeling of urgency and confusion in him.  
  
"Wesley, is something wrong?"  
  
He barely heard the question, his mind elsewhere. Finally realizing that she had spoken and what he had been asked, he replied. "No, nothing's wrong really, I just wasn't expecting.. Deanna, can I ask you something?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
He pulled her over to the side of the corridor and decided to try and bluff his way into finding out the true relationship between his mother and the captain. If anyone would know, it would be Deanna.  
  
"Mom didn't really go into any details last night, but I know her relationship with the captain has changed. You know Mom, she won't tell me anything negative. I just want to make sure she's really happy about this."  
  
Deanna smiled at the concern in his eyes, but knew he wasn't being entirely truthful with her. "Wesley, I don't' think you need to worry about anything. The captain and Beverly are very happy together. What they have is special and they know it."  
  
She felt the change in his emotions the moment she spoke. "Wesley, what's wrong? I thought you would be happy about this."  
  
Wesley didn't know what to say. How could he have been so wrong? He thought his plan had been flawless. The traveler had been right. He was too young and inexperienced to do this on his own, but what was he going to do now? A touch on his arm brought him back to the present.  
  
"Wesley, what's going on?" She could feel his panic.  
  
He licked his lips nervously and looked up and down the corridor. "Deanna, we need to talk, but not here. Could we go somewhere a little more private?"  
  
She nodded and led him to her office. When the doors closed, she could feel Wesley's panic growing as she motioned for him to have a seat. She needed to calm him down.  
  
"Would you like something to drink?"  
  
He had positioned himself on the couch, his elbows resting on his knees with his hands steepled at his face. When he declined her offer, she sat down across from him and waited for him to speak.  
  
"This is a little hard to explain." He looked up at her nervously and tried to smile.  
  
"Take your time."  
  
He almost laughed at her comment. 'Time' was what got him into this mess in the first place. After taking a few more moments to figure out how he was going to explain the problem, he began speaking.  
  
"It all started shortly after I left Dorvan Five, the Indian settlement where I stayed after leaving the Enterprise. I was so young then." Wesley shook his head and smiled a little at the memory. "Anyway, I began to understand things, Deanna, relationships between time and space, and how it all fits together. Before long, I was traveling on a completely different plain of existence. I was beginning to think that I could do anything. I guess I got a little too sure of myself." He paused as sadness overtook him. "I'm not explaining this very well."  
  
"You're doing fine. Go on."  
  
He took a deep breath. "I learned things about the universe that I never even considered. I was able to travel through time, not just backwards, but forwards too. That's when I found out about what happened to Mom and the captain."  
  
Deanna focused on what Wes was feeling. The pain that washed over her was nearly overwhelming. She was almost afraid to ask him what he meant, but knew that he had to tell her. She took a cleansing breath to steady her own emotions.  
  
"What happened to them?" she said calmly.  
  
"Some of it you already know. The captain told you about his incident with Q."  
  
She looked at him questioningly. How could he know about the captain shifting through time? It occurred after Wesley had already left the Enterprise.  
  
He smiled up at her, knowing that she was confused. "You find out all sorts of things when no one knows you're around. I overheard Mom talking about it a few months ago to one of her friends." The smile faded as he continued his story.  
  
"I was very upset to find out that they were divorced in the future, so I decided to do something about it."  
  
Deanna's eyebrows shot up at the thought that Wesley would try to alter the future. He saw the look that she gave him.  
  
"I know. You don't think I should have done it, but you have to understand, Deanna, Mom's happiness means everything to me. I was careful. Really I was. I spent months studying different times periods in their lives to determine why they had split up. What I found out was more than a little disturbing."  
  
She felt an anguish and hurt rush over him and focused again to keep her own emotions calm. Silently, she hoped that he wouldn't tell her what had happened to her friend and captain to cause their break-up. This counseling session was going way past anything she was used to dealing with. He was revealing intimate details about the future of people that were not in the room with them and she had to consider their privacy. She was relieved when he continued the story without going into any more detail about what had happened to them.  
  
"The traveler warned me that I wasn't experienced enough to do anything, even though he knew what I was doing was the right thing." He paused for a moment to look up at her. "You think that's a little shocking too, don't you, that we sometimes alter the future? It was hard for me to understand at first too, but it really happens quite a bit. With an experienced traveler, things turn out for the best. I guess that's where I made my big mistake. I didn't know enough to make it work."  
  
Wesley sat back on the sofa, lost in his own thoughts. She could feel that his failure had affected him deeply, but she also sensed confusion and frustration.  
  
"I still don't understand where I went wrong. I had everything planned out so well. I thought I took everything into account. I considered how they felt about each other, the influences of their friends, everything." Again he was silent.  
  
Deanna sighed deeply. If she was going to help him, she needed more information, but she wasn't sure she really wanted to know.  
  
"Wesley, maybe you should tell me exactly what you tried to do to change the timeline."  
  
He stared at her for a long moment, trying to predict her reaction to what he was about to say. He knew it was going to sound absurd.  
  
"I shot Data," he said quietly.  
  
"What?" For a moment, she didn't believe she heard him correctly.  
  
"I shot Data," he repeated. "On Ba'ku. I shot him when he was near the cloaked ship. Everyone thought it was one of the Son'a, but it was really me."  
  
"Wesley," she exclaimed. "I don't understand. How did shooting Data effect whether or not Beverly and the captain were divorced in the future?"  
  
He sighed deeply, trying to find the words to explain his actions.  
  
"In the other future, the one that Q showed the captain, Data never found the cloaked ship. The Ba'ku were transported off the planet before anyone could do anything about it, so the Enterprise never went there in the first place." He could see that she still didn't see the connection.  
  
"Bare with me for a second and I think you'll understand. In the other timeline, the captain never met Anij. He and my mom grew closer and they were married a few months from now. They were very happy at first. Then about three years later, quite by accident, he found out something that he didn't know. Things were never the same between them after that. He left a short time later and they were divorced."  
  
Deanna was quite for a while, trying to understand how this all fit together. She was still confused.  
  
"But, I still don't understand. How was shooting Data supposed to change all of this? I mean, the captain and Beverly haven't announced that they were getting married, but I can see it still happening soon. What has really changed?"  
  
"That's what I can't figure out. Nothing has changed. You see, when I shot Data, a whole chain of events was supposed to be put in motion. Some of the things happened, but then out of the blue, everything changed back to the way it was before. I just can't figure out what went wrong."  
  
"Maybe you should tell me what was supposed to happen. That way, I can tell you when things started *changing*." Deanna puffed out a breath. This was all too confusing and it was hard to keep up.  
  
"It's *when* things happen that really makes the difference," he began to explain. "When Data was shot, his automatic safeties kicked in. I knew they would, and I knew he would try to stop the Son'a. Everything happened just as it was supposed to. The Enterprise came to get Data, Captain Picard discovered the cloaked ship, ."  
  
She stood up abruptly and held up her hand to stop him. "Wesley," she exclaimed. "Wait a minute. You planned what happened on Ba'ku? Some of them were nearly killed by the Son'a after we found out about that ship. Weren't you taking an awful chance by exposing the Son'a plans?"  
  
He held up his hands in his defense. "Believe me, Deanna. I didn't do this lightly. You don't realize what happened in the other reality. The Ba'ku may have abandoned their use of technology, but they weren't as dumb as the Son'a thought they would be. Halfway to their "new world", the Ba'ku realized they were on the ship and turned it around. When they got back to their planet, the Son'a had already taken over. They refused to fight and almost all of them were killed. I figured they would have a much better chance with the Enterprise on their side."  
  
For now, she accepted his explanation, sat back down and nodded for him to continue.  
  
"Well, like I said, the captain discovered the ship and the conspiracy. I knew after meeting Anij, he would be intrigued by her and by their lifestyle. I had observed her and the rest of the Ba'ku for a while. Anij was looking for someone like the captain and knowing the captain's taste in women, I knew he would fall for her immediately. Everything was working so well until he came back from his leave on Ba'ku. That's where my plans went haywire somehow. He was supposed to go back to Anij a couple of weeks later, stay for a while longer and then eventually return to the Enterprise. He and Mom weren't supposed to become close again until after he confronted her with his discovery about her past. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. Now, he won't find out about it for years, and when he does, it will be too late and he will leave her."  
  
Deanna was beginning to get the picture. "But Wesley, the captain didn't return to Ba'ku the second time. He realized he was in love with your mother."  
  
"I know. That's just the point. Now you understand."  
  
"Well, I understand your plan, and what happened to deter it, but I still don't understand why the captain had to return to Anij."  
  
Wesley let out a sigh. "It wasn't *Anij*. It was the planet. The effect of the rings around Ba'ku was supposed to change more than just his physical well being. It would have also effected his mind, more precisely, his memory. You remember how the children were on Ba'ku, how coordinated their bodies were and how their minds were so disciplined. It would have changed the captain. He would have been able to remember something that would have made a difference."  
  
She was beginning to understand. "And remembering that a few weeks ago, before they developed a deeper relationship, would make it easier for them to work through it, as opposed to when they had built up years of trust as a married couple."  
  
"Exactly. That's why I'm here now. I was supposed to help them deal with it now so they could move forward in their relationship."  
  
She felt the sadness wash over him again. She could tell that he wasn't telling her everything, and for that, she was almost grateful. Some details she would rather not know.  
  
"Wes, I think I might be able to tell you why the captain didn't return to Ba'ku."  
  
He looked up at her. For the first time since their talk began, she felt a glimmer of hope in him.  
  
She began to tell him of how a holodeck character had pushed the captain and Beverly together a few weeks before. Their evening with Vic Fontaine had been a definite turning point in their relationship. Wesley listened intently to the tale of how Vic had made the captain jealous and eventually convinced him of Beverly's love for him.  
  
"And a holodeck character got them to voice their true feelings about each other? I just don't get it, Deanna. How could a computer-generated image make that much of a difference?"  
  
"I don't fully understand it myself, but Vic's no ordinary hologram. He's something, I don't know, special. He can really read people, Wesley, and he's a master at creating situations where people will voice their true feelings. I've never met anyone like him."  
  
"You sound like you admire him, like he's a real person or something?"  
  
Deanna smiled. "I guess I do admire him. After all, he was able to accomplish in one night what all the rest of us have been trying to do for over 10 years."  
  
"Well, don't admire him too much. If he hadn't gotten involved, things would have happened like they were supposed to." Wesley sat back on the couch again and let out a long sigh. "Maybe I shouldn't have gotten involved in this in the first place. I never considered that a hologram could influence either one of them. I mean, I thought Mom always saw them as so artificial."  
  
Deanna's eyes widened at his last statement and she looked down at her lap. After a long pause, she looked up at him.  
  
"There's something else I need to tell you, Wes." When she was sure she had his attention, she continued with her confession.  
  
"Your mother and the captain don't *exactly* know that Vic is a hologram."  
  
"I don't understand. How could they not know he was a hologram. I mean, they were on the holodeck, right?"  
  
"Yes, but Will and I ..." She paused for a moment. Will was not to blame for her plan and it wasn't right to involve him. "I told them that he used the holodeck program for his act and he was a visiting performer. To be honest, this is all really my fault. I asked Vic to become involved. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. I'm sorry, Wes. I should have kept my nose out of it," she said shyly.  
  
Wesley didn't know what to say. He felt angry that a hologram could interfere with his plans and was disappointed in himself that he hadn't predicted it. Still, he couldn't blame Deanna for setting up the whole thing. He knew that she had acted out of friendship for the two people involved. He reached over and placed his hand over hers.  
  
"I don't blame you, Deanna. I guess we both were just trying to help. The question is, what do we do now?"  
  
"Why don't you just tell the captain what he needs to know about Beverly? That way, they can still work it out, now."  
  
A look a shock overtook Wesley's face. She had no idea what she was asking him to do.  
  
"I can't do that. I'm not supposed to know. If I tell him, it will do more harm than good. He has to find out another way and it has to be soon. Besides, he wouldn't believe me anyway. He doesn't have a clue that it's even possible."  
  
Deanna didn't really understand his answer. She could not imagine a secret so terrible that it would cause the emotions that she was feeling from her young friend.  
  
"Then why don't you just tell Beverly that she needs to tell him?"  
  
"No, she doesn't know that *I* know. In fact, I don't think *she* even thinks it's possible. I don't know what she would do if I confronted her. We have to find a way that she learns the truth and then *she* needs to tell him. It's the only way, now that Ba'ku hasn't affected his memory. The question is, how do we do that?"  
  
After a few moments of silence, Deanna's face brightened and a small smile came across her lips.  
  
"I think I have an idea. It'll be a little tricky, but I think it will work." She smiled at the expectant look on his face. "Wes, what are you doing after lunch?"  
  
****************  
  
After the staff meeting, Beverly decided to stop by her quarters before reporting to sickbay. She was concerned to find Wesley not there and quickly asked the computer for his whereabouts. For a moment, she was afraid that he had left the ship. When the computer informed her that he was in Counselor Troi's office, she was relieved that he hadn't faded away to some other reality. Due to the nature of their current mission, mapping a nebula cluster, Deanna had not been required to attend the morning staff meeting. Neither was Beverly, for that matter, but she sometimes sat in on them anyway to broaden her understanding of the galaxy.  
  
Beverly hadn't considered that Wesley would leave the quarters while she was away. She thought about Jean-Luc's teasing that someone else might inform Wesley of their relationship and hoped that Deanna wouldn't say something that she shouldn't.  
  
"Crusher to Wesley Crusher," she called into the air.  
  
Wesley was a little startled to hear his mother's voice, considering what he and Deanna had been discussing.  
  
"Crusher here, go ahead."  
  
"Wesley, I came back to my quarters and you were gone. I was hoping we could spend a little more time together this morning, but I guess you just couldn't wait to explore the new ship," she said with an amused tone in her voice.  
  
He knew she was not upset with him, but mentally kicked himself for not being back in her quarters when she returned.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mom. I should have stayed until you came back. I guess I got a little too excited about being back home. I'll be there in a minute."  
  
"No, that's okay. You go have a good time. I have some work I need to do in sickbay today. If I had known you were coming, I would have taken the day off, but as it stands, I'm going to be tied up for most of the day anyway. I would like us to have dinner together though."  
  
Wesley looked up at Deanna for guidance. If their plan were going to work, he would have to have some control over the events of the next few days. Deanna motioned for him to pause the transmission.  
  
"Uhh.. Hold on a minute Mom." He ended the signal and looked back to Deanna.  
  
"Tell her you already agreed to have dinner with Will and I, but she can join us. You'll let her know when and where later today," Deanna said. He nodded and hit his comm badge again.  
  
"Mom, I've already agreed to have dinner with Counselor Troi and Commander Riker. I'm sure they'd want you to come too. I'll let you know the details later this afternoon."  
  
Beverly paused for a moment. She had wanted to talk with Wesley privately, but perhaps they could discuss her relationship with Jean-Luc after dinner in her quarters.  
  
"Well, okay. Just don't plan out your whole time on board. I really want to speak with you, Wes. I'll talk to you again later this afternoon."  
  
"Right, and I promise, I'll take plenty of time to spend with you while I'm here. I'll call you this afternoon. Crusher out."  
  
Wesley looked back to Deanna with a hopeful look on his face. "So, where do we go from here?"  
  
"I'll set up everything and meet you at 13:00 hours," she replied. "Don't worry, Wes. I have a feeling everything will work out fine." She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze as he rose to leave her office. Deanna's smile faded as the doors closed. She hoped this would work. First, she would need to contact Will. They might need a fictitious passenger list and help from the computer if someone checked up on them.  
  
********************  
  
When the doors opened, Wesley was amazed at the detail of the program. From the décor of the room and dress of the people, he summized that the time period must be near the mid 20th century. On a stage at the far end of the room, a gray-haired man was singing to the audience. He scanned the room and soon found Deanna sitting at a table at the side of the room. She motioned for him to join her.  
  
"Right on time, Wes. Take a seat. Vic is just finishing up his set. I've asked him to join us."  
  
Taking an empty chair beside her, he sat back and threw one arm over the chair's back as he studied the man on the stage. He was a pretty good singer, Wesley thought, not the best he had heard in the galaxy, but not bad for a human. He did seem, however, to have a special connection with the audience, gazing at them sincerely, as they responded by hanging on every word of the song. Still, he was skeptical. He just didn't understand how a hologram could help him solve his problem.  
  
When the song ended, the singer thanked his audience and made his way through the crowd to where they were sitting. As they rose to meet him, he kissed Deanna lightly on the cheek.  
  
"Deanna, it's good to see you again. You look as lovely as ever."  
  
"It's good to see you too." Deanna responded with a smile before looking at her young companion. "Wes, this is Vic Fontaine. Vic, this is Wesley Crusher, Beverly's son."  
  
Vic shook his hand and smiled knowingly. "So, you're the traveler. Beverly's told me all about you. You know, you should visit your mother more often. She misses you. How long have you been aboard the Enterprise?"  
  
Wesley was a little surprised at the familiarity of his comments. Deanna had told him that Vic was "self-aware," but he somehow didn't expect him to be so lifelike. He noticed a genuine concern in Vic's voice when he mentioned that Beverly missed him.  
  
"You know what a traveler is?" he asked, confused by Vic's choice of words.  
  
Vic shrugged his shoulders. "Well, not any more than what's in the ship's library. It does seem very interesting though, traveling through space and time without the use of a spaceship. I'll bet you've seen things that we've never even imagined." Vic paused a moment at seeing the stunned look on Wesley's face. "So, how's your mom doing? I haven't seen her in a few weeks?"  
  
Wesley was at a loss for words. This was not what he expected. He didn't know quite how to respond. It was like talking to an old friend of the family. "Uhh. she's doing fine. I just got here last night, but we had a long talk and she seems .. happy."  
  
Vic's expression noticeably brightened. "Oh, that's great. She's a great lady. I'm happy for her. So, what brings you two to my humble establishment? Here to enjoy our exquisite cuisine or just to hear an old crooner do his stuff for a while?"  
  
Deanna spoke up for the first time since Vic had taken a seat opposite them.  
  
"Actually, Vic, we were hoping that you might be able to help us out with something."  
  
"Anytime. What can I do for you? It's not another couple who can't seem to get it together is it? That thing with Beverly and Jean-Luc almost did me in. Talk about stubborn. It amazes me when people refuse to see what's right in front of their faces."  
  
Deanna smiled at his comments. "Actually, it has to do with a problem between Beverly and the captain."  
  
"You gotta' be kiddin' me." The amount of disbelief and confusion was evident in his voice. "I thought I had everything worked out between them. When they left, I'd never seen two people so much in love. What, they can't agree on a wedding date?"  
  
Deanna and Wesley glanced at one another, each trying to decide how to explain the situation to Vic. Deanna decided to give it a try and took a deep breath.  
  
"You know about how Wesley is able to travel through time and space right?" Vic nodded and she continued. "Well, Wesley found out that the captain and Beverly were married, and later divorced, in the future and why. So, he tried to alter the future and things didn't work out exactly right, mainly because I interfered and got you involved."  
  
Vic studied her for a moment, processing the words that she had spoken.  
  
"So, what you're telling me is that I'm responsible for their divorce in the future?"  
  
Deanna was surprised by the steadiness of his voice. He seemed concerned, but not overly upset by her revelation.  
  
"No, not responsible. It just seems that we rushed things a bit. They weren't supposed to get this close yet. It's a long story," she tried to explain.  
  
Vic crossed his arms and leaned his elbows against the table, an understanding smile on his face. "Well, I've got the time. Maybe, you should tell me the whole story and I'll see what I can do. I still have a few tricks up my sleeves."  
  
Wesley and Deanna were encouraged by his show of faith. Together, they explained what Wesley had related to Deanna in her quarters. He didn't seem as confused by the situation as they both had been. After they finished, Vic leaned back in his chair and nodded his understanding.  
  
"So, all I have to do is get Beverly to tell Jean-Luc the truth and everything will work out right?" Deanna nodded. "Okay, what's she need to tell him?"  
  
Deanna looked uneasily at Wesley and then back to Vic. "I can't tell you that, Vic. Wesley hasn't told me yet and I'm not sure I want to know. Maybe Wesley's told me too much all ready. I don't want to pollute the time line any more by knowing something I shouldn't."  
  
Vic considered her explanation. To some extent, it made sense, but there was something Deanna was not saying. Perhaps there were some secrets she really didn't want to know. He looked back at Wesley.  
  
"Maybe you and I should go get a drink at the bar, Wes. All of this talking has made me a little thirsty. Would you like something, Deanna?"  
  
Deanna understood his ploy to talk to Wesley privately and told them she had to get back to her office. When she left, the two men made their way to a bar on the far side of the room.  
  
After placing their orders, Vic leaned back against the bar and studied the young man.  
  
"This isn't easy for you, is it Wes? I mean, knowing things that you really shouldn't know about people that you love? It's a big responsibility, isn't it?" Wesley nodded slightly. "I don't envy you. It's a lot easier being a hologram. When I find out something I'm not supposed to know, my programmer can just erase it. Zip, it's gone, just like it never happened. I guess I'm different from other people that way."  
  
Wesley understood what he was suggesting and smiled a little as he looked at the glass in front of him.  
  
"Doesn't that bother you though? Knowing that someone can just erase your memory with a simple command?" Wesley surprised himself with the questions. He was beginning to really care about what happened to Vic, as if he weren't only a holographic image. He had to admit, Vic had a way of seeming more "real" than many actual people he knew.  
  
Vic smiled. "No, not really. It's the way I am. This is *my* universe. Besides, I only give my program codes to those I trust," he added with a laugh. "And only then, when it's for a good cause."  
  
He couldn't explain it, but as Wesley looked up at Vic's shining eyes, he knew that he could trust him. As he told Vic about the future, it was as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He was no longer the only person who knew the truth.  
  
***************  
  
It had been a long day. Early in the afternoon, a storage shelf had collapsed in one of the cargo bays, crashing down on six maintenance workers. Luckily, no one had been seriously hurt, but Beverly had been busy treating their cuts and bruises and checking for other less visible injuries. When she finished with the last worker, it was nearly 18:00 hours. Wesley had left her a message that he was having dinner with Will and Deanna in Holodeck 3 and that she should join them around 19:00. She smiled when she read the part in the message that said Deanna was running a program set in an old Earth nightclub and that Beverly would recognize it. She knew Deanna was treating Wesley to a night at Vic's. She hadn't realized that her friend had returned to the Enterprise, but was glad that he had. What better place to explain her relationship with Jean-Luc than where it had all changed only a few weeks before?  
  
She knew that Jean-Luc had wanted to join them for dinner, but another reception for the Anticans would keep him tied up until later in the evening. After changing into appropriate attire for their evening, she decided to stop by Jean-Luc's quarters, knowing that he was probably still preparing for the reception. Since he couldn't be at dinner to give her courage, a little reassurance before hand wouldn't hurt. Besides, she hadn't seen him since the staff meeting that morning.  
  
As she suspected, the captain was still struggling with his dress uniform when she entered his quarters. He was standing in front of the mirror, fumbling with the top snaps.  
  
"Having a little trouble, are we, Captain?" she said, leaning against the bedroom doorway.  
  
"Whoever designed these damned things should be court-martialed," he replied curtly, not amused by her teasing.  
  
"Here, let me help," she laughed, walking over behind him and turning him slightly around to face her. Within a few seconds, she had the top snap together and traced her hands along his uniform, smoothing out the fabric across his chest. "There. That's much better." She wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a quick kiss. "Have I told you lately how handsome you look in your dress uniform?"  
  
Picard chuckled at her attempt to reform his sour mood. She knew he wasn't looking forward to another boring evening playing host to a group of diplomats, especially considering the Anticans' diet consisted of live animals. He smiled at her sincerely.  
  
"No, but I would gladly wear it every day if it would make you happy." After pausing to let his words sink in, he wrapped his own arms around her waist, pulled her close and kissed her passionately. Though his body had other ideas, he forced his mind to take control again and pulled back from the kiss, knowing that neither would make their appointments on time if he didn't.  
  
"So, are you off to your dinner with Wesley?"  
  
She pulled away from him slightly, trying to catch her breath and dull the passion that this man could evoke in her so quickly.  
  
"Yes, I'm meeting him in a few minutes at the holodeck. Did you know that Vic was back on board?"  
  
"Actually, I did see that he was on a list of personnel that beamed over this afternoon from a transport. I was hoping to see him before he left. Is that where you're going for dinner?"  
  
She nodded. "Deanna and Will are meeting us there. It will be nice to see him again. I owe him a lot and didn't get the chance to thank him the last time he was on board."  
  
"We both owe him. If you get the chance, tell him I'd like to see him before he leaves." He kissed her quickly on the nose and sighed, resting his forehead against hers. "I've got to go. Will you come by here after dinner? I missed you last night."  
  
"I missed you too. I'll try to come by later, after I talk with Wesley."  
  
"Have you decided what you're going to tell him?"  
  
She sighed and buried her face in his shoulder. "No, not yet. I'm waiting for inspiration."  
  
Picard chuckled. "Well, maybe Vic can help. As I recall, he has a way of helping you find the words you need to say." He kissed her lightly on the forehead. "I really have to go."  
  
Reluctantly, she pulled back from the comfort of his embrace and looked deeply in his eyes.  
  
"You know something, Jean-Luc Picard," she said softly. "I love you."  
  
He smiled. "I know. I love you too." He kissed her lightly again and pulled away. "I'll see you later tonight."  
  
**************  
  
As she approached the holodeck doors, she still hadn't come up with any ideas on how to tell Wesley about her new relationship with the captain. Perhaps, she thought, Jean-Luc was right. Maybe Vic could help her find the words.  
  
When the doors opened, she stepped inside and scanned the room, seeing Deanna, Will and Wesley at a side table. She remembered that particular table well. It was the same one where her friends and Jean-Luc sat when she danced with Vic the last time she was here. She spotted Vic on the stage, singing one of his now-familiar 20th Century ballads, and smiled brightly at him. He saw her enter the room and returned the smile.  
  
Beverly thought back to the first time she had met Vic. She couldn't believe it had only been a few weeks ago. Her life had changed so dramatically since then and most of those changes she could attribute to the night she and Jean-Luc spent at Vic's, a night when both of them decided to share their true feelings for each other. Vic had been everything she needed him to be that night - the strength to help her overcome her fears. She was glad that he was here tonight.  
  
Will and Wesley stood as she walked over to their table. Wesley had never seen his mother look more beautiful. He took her hand and guided her into a seat.  
  
"You look great, Mom," he said proudly as he kissed her gently on the cheek.  
  
Beverly returned the smile as she sat down next to him. "Thank you, Wes." She looked over to her friend across the table.  
  
"Deanna, why didn't you tell me that Vic was back on board?"  
  
Deanna looked down at the table, trying to form a suitable answer without lying too much. "Actually, I just found out myself today that he would be here. I thought Wesley might like to meet him." She tilted her head and smiled at Beverly. "As I recall, you enjoyed the show quite a bit the last time you were here."  
  
Will saw the uncomfortable look that Beverly gave Deanna and decided to change the subject. He didn't really know what was going on, but had agreed to go along with her dinner plans after she persuaded him to add Vic's name to the personnel transfer list. Knowing Deanna the way he did, he was sure she had an ulterior motive for using Vic's program again. He just wasn't sure he wanted to know what it was. He had to admit, Vic had been the driving force in getting the captain and Beverly together, but the whole thing could have easily blown up in their faces. They had planned to eventually tell the couple that Vic was a hologram, but the subject just never came up. Now, he couldn't help but feel that they were tempting fate.  
  
"So, Wes, how long will you be staying on the ship?"  
  
"I'm really not sure, sir. A couple of weeks maybe, depending on how things go." He stole a quick look at Deanna and then turned back to Riker. "I still have a few loose ends to tie up here and there."  
  
A movement out of the corner of his eye caught Wesley's attention and he looked over to see Vic approaching the table. Beverly followed his gaze and smiled brightly at her friend.  
  
Vic touched Beverly lightly on the shoulder as he returned her smile and then nodded to each of his guests.  
  
"I hope everyone's enjoying themselves this evening," he said. "I see we have a new guest tonight."  
  
"Yes, this is my son, Wesley. Wes, this is Vic Fontaine, a very dear friend of mine."  
  
Vic held out his hand to greet the young man. "It's nice to meet you, Wes. Your mother's told me about you. I hope you enjoy the show."  
  
"Thank you, Mr. Fontaine. It's nice to meet you too, sir."  
  
"Please, call me Vic." He turned his attention back to Beverly. "I've got a set coming up, but you will save me a dance for later, won't you?"  
  
"I'd love to," she said. "It'll give us a chance to catch up."  
  
"Great. Will, Deanna, Wes, I'll see you later. Anything you need, don't hesitate to ask. Enjoy your meal." He kissed Beverly on the cheek and returned to the stage. As Vic began singing, a waiter appeared at the table to take their orders.  
  
During their dinner, Wesley told them of some of the adventures he had as a traveler. Will was fascinated by the stories, but was somewhat surprised at the half-hearted attempts by Beverly and Deanna to join in the conversation. Beverly, especially, seemed unusually uncomfortable, like her mind was somewhere other than their dinner. After they had finished their meal, Will decided it was a good time to find out why the two women were so preoccupied. He stood and held his hand out his friend.  
  
"Beverly, would you like to dance?"  
  
She looked over to Deanna as if to ask permission to dance with Will, which Deanna granted with a small nod and smile.  
  
"Sure, Will. I'd love to."  
  
When the two were out of earshot, Deanna leaned over to Wesley.  
  
"Do you have any idea what Vic has planned?"  
  
Wesley sighed, clearly frustrated that they were no closer to solving the situation than they were that afternoon.  
  
"No, I don't have a clue. He just said to 'sit tight', whatever that means, and he'd take care of everything. I don't know about this, Deanna. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."  
  
She placed her hand lightly on Wesley's arm. "Wes, let's just give him some time. He's going to ask her to dance in a little while. We just have to trust him."  
  
"I don't know. I think Mom may already suspect something is up. Did you notice how quiet she's been this evening? It's just not like her."  
  
"She did seem distracted during dinner, but maybe she just has something else on her mind. She didn't say anything earlier about having an argument with the captain or something, did she?"  
  
Wesley looked down at the table. "Mom hasn't exactly told me anything about her relationship with the captain."  
  
Deanna's mouth flew open. "Wesley, you told me . you said ." She slapped his arm. "You tricked me. You said you knew about Beverly and the captain."  
  
"Well, not exactly. What I said was, I knew their relationship had changed, and I did. I just didn't know how." He looked up at her shyly. "I'm sorry, Deanna. I just needed to know what was going on. When you told me she usually had breakfast with Captain Picard, I knew I was in trouble."  
  
Deanna was a little upset with herself that she had been fooled so easily, but she really couldn't blame Wesley for trying. She had used the same type of ploy herself many times when trying to gain information. There was no use trying to make him feel guilty when all he was trying to do was help his mother.  
  
"Well, no harm done, I guess. Now, all we can do is wait and see what Vic has in mind and play along. I trust that he can make this work. Remember, Wesley, he's no .."  
  
" .. no ordinary hologram," he finished her sentence for her. "I know, you told me. I just hope he knows what he is doing."  
  
***************  
  
Will noticed that Beverly was forcing herself to smile as they glided across the dance floor. He knew he wasn't that bad of a dancer, so there had to be something else bothering her.  
  
"Want to tell me about it?" he said softly.  
  
"What?" She looked up at the expectant grin on his face and knew she couldn't fool him. "Oh, Will. I'm sorry. I guess I have seemed a little distant tonight. It's just been a little, I don't know, strange having Wesley back on the ship. I mean, things have changed since he was here before."  
  
"You mean you haven't told him about you and the captain." It wasn't really a question.  
  
Beverly shook her head and laughed lightly. "Silly, isn't it?"  
  
He pulled her closer so that her head rested on his shoulder. "No, I don't think it's silly." He was quiet for a moment. "I remember when Kate Pulaski told me she was once in love with my father. At first, I couldn't believe anyone could love the old bastard," he chuckled softly. His voice grew quiet as he continued to speak. "Then, I felt betrayed that he had forgotten my mother so easily. I later found out that I was wrong. He hadn't forgotten her at all. It fact, that's why he and Kate never really got together. I realized that he wasn't betraying my mother, he was betraying himself. In the end, I guess I felt sorry for him."  
  
He pulled back from their embrace to look Beverly in the eye. "I think Wes already knows how you feel about the captain, Beverly. Don't deny him the chance to share in your happiness."  
  
She smiled at him sincerely. "You're a good friend, Will. Thanks."  
  
He pulled her back close. "Anytime."  
  
Will felt a slight tap on his shoulder.  
  
"Mind if I cut in, Commander?"  
  
Riker turned slightly to find Wesley standing behind him.  
  
"Not at all, Wes." He turned back to Beverly and winked before handing her over to her son.  
  
They danced for a few minutes in comfortable silence. Wesley was glad that his mother no longer seemed as distant as before.  
  
"You've been practicing," she said.  
  
He chuckled. "Not really. I just don't stumble over my own feet like I used to."  
  
Beverly sighed deeply. "I guess my little boy's all grown up." She looked directly in his eyes. "I want you to tell me something, Wes. Are you really happy, you know, out there? Is it what you were searching for?"  
  
He thought for a moment and then smiled at his mother. "Yes, I'm happy. It's really more than I could have hoped for. My only regret is that I don't get to see you as much as I need to. Time has a way of getting away from me. I worry about you sometimes."  
  
Beverly smiled at the concern in his voice. "I'm fine, Wes." She took a deep breath. It was time to lay all her cards on the table. She stopped dancing and looked down at the floor. "But, there's something I've been meaning to tell you. A lot of things have changed for me in the past few weeks. The captain . Jean-Luc and I ."  
  
"Mom, it's okay. You don't need to say anything. I know about you and Captain Picard."  
  
She looked up at him, surprised by his statement. "You do?"  
  
"Yes. Things like that are hard to keep quiet on this ship." The grin on his face turned serious. "I just need to know one thing, Mom. Does he make you happy?"  
  
The concern in his voice touched her. "Yes. He makes me very happy."  
  
"Then I'm happy for you." Wesley smiled, pulling her gently back into his arms as they began again to sway to the music. His smile faded when she could no longer see his face. This wasn't making his task any easier.  
  
Back at their table, Will leaned over to Deanna. "Do you think she told him?"  
  
The emotions Deanna was feeling from Beverly were very different now than a few moments before. "Yes. She told him. She's feeling very content now, as if a great weight has been lifted off her shoulders."  
  
Will was confused by the solemn look on Deanna's face. "Why do I get the feeling that something is going on here that I don't know about?"  
  
Deanna laughed lightly at his question and took a drink from her glass. "Believe me, Will. You don't want to know."  
  
He was about to question her further when the holodeck doors opened and two Anticans walked in.  
  
"I wonder what they're doing here?" he said as he watched the two visitors make their way through the crowd to the bar. "I didn't know the captain granted the delegates holodeck privileges."  
  
Deanna shrugged. "I don't know, Will, but they don't seem too friendly and I doubt they're here for the fine cuisine."  
  
The two delegates sat down at the bar and yelled an order at the bartender. Even across the crowded dance floor, Will and Deanna could hear them challenging each other as the two eyed the couples on the floor. One of them nudged the other and rose from his stool, walking over to Wesley and poking him in the shoulder with his clawed fingers.  
  
"I will dance with this one now, Human. Move away," he ordered. Wesley stepped in front of his mother and faced the Antican.  
  
"Listen, we don't want any trouble. Why don't you just go back to the bar and I'll buy you a drink?"  
  
The Antican pushed Wesley away with the swipe of his clawed hand and laughed as he grabbed a startled Beverly by the wrist.  
  
She struggled to free herself, but the Antican's grip held her fast. When Wesley came up behind the delegate again, he didn't notice that the second Antican was quickly approaching his back with a barstool. Will was halfway across the room when the other delegate crashed the stool over Wesley's head and stood laughing over his slumped figure on the floor. Before Will could reach for his comm badge to call for help, three security officers appeared and hauled the smirking delegates from the room.  
  
By the time Will made it over to Wesley, Vic had appeared by his side. "I had you covered, Commander," Vic said. "I've run into these Anticans before and knew there'd be trouble, so I called security."  
  
Beverly knelt over Wesley, trying to assess his injuries. He was conscious, but groaned when she touched the back of his head.  
  
"Just lie still for a moment and let me take a look at you."  
  
"I'm okay, Mom. Just help me sit up." Wesley winced again when he tried to rise.  
  
"I told you to lie still," she ordered, pushing him back to the floor. Beverly looked up at Will. "I want to take him in sickbay to run a full physiological scan, just in case."  
  
Will nodded and ordered Beverly and Wesley beamed directly to sickbay.  
  
******************  
  
Beverly sat at her desk and again read over the test results. This can't be possible, she told herself over and over. Again she studied the image on her computer screen. There had been no mistake. The tests were conclusive. She took a deep breath and sat back in her chair. Through her office window, she could see Wesley sitting on the edge of a bio bed, speaking cheerfully with one of the nurses.  
  
She had no idea what she was going to tell him.  
  
When Beverly had her son first beamed to sickbay, she was determined to make sure he was all right. She ordered a complete set of neurological scans, telling her staff to pay particular attention to site of his injury. She was relieved that he could coherently answer all her questions and complained only that his head was sore. After only a few minutes, he was sitting up and joking with the staff about his mother's over-protectiveness as they performed their scans and healed the small cut on the back of his head.  
  
Beverly ran a shaky hand through her hair and considered her options. For a brief moment, she thought about not telling him at all. She could just say that everything was fine and they could all continue with their lives. She closed her eyes and swallowed. She knew it would save everyone a lot of heartache to remain silent, but it wasn't really an option. Not only was he her son, he was her patient, and he deserved to know the truth, no matter how painful that truth would be.  
  
Taking a shaky breath, she stood up and slowly walked to his bed, dismissing her staff with a nod of her head. She forced a smile as he looked up at her.  
  
"How are you feeling?"  
  
"Fine, Mom. I told you I was all right." His smile faded as she looked down at the padd in front of her. He noticed that her hands were shaking.  
  
"Mom, what's wrong?" Sitting there on the biobed, the whole incident on the holodeck had almost seemed funny to Wesley. The implications of what had happened in the last hour had not yet dawned on him, but he was now beginning to get concerned by her silence. "Mom?"  
  
She shook her head slightly and looked up at him.  
  
"Wesley, I need to speak with you." She held up the padd. "You're fine, really, but the scans showed something that I wasn't expecting."  
  
Wesley reached out to take her hand. He licked his lips and tried to steady his own breathing. He still hadn't made the connection. "What is it?"  
  
Beverly relied on all her years in medicine to remain as calm as possible for what she was about to tell her son.  
  
"I decided to run a full neurological scan to be sure I hadn't missed anything. What I found was a small defect in the parietal lobe of your brain. The defect may never cause you any problems, but it could also make you susceptible to certain brain disorders later in life."  
  
Wesley sat on the bed with his mouth slightly open, going over in his mind what his mother had just told him. Realization was beginning to hit him as he stared blankly at the padd still in his mother's hand. He had to focus his mind to prevent a smile from creeping across his face. It all made sense now. Vic had started the ball rolling and it was up to him to keep it going. He cleared his throat and looked back up at his mother. This wasn't over yet and he wasn't looking forward to the pain he was about to cause her.  
  
"What caused the defect?"  
  
Beverly shuddered at the question. She had hoped that she could avoid telling Wesley all the truth, but now there was no turning back.  
  
"It's a genetic defect. You inherited it from your father."  
  
Wesley knew the answer to the question he was about to ask, but still had to ask it. Everything had been leading up to this moment.  
  
"Did Dad know that he had the defect too?"  
  
Beverly felt that her knees were going to collapse any moment. She took another shaky breath to steady herself. She couldn't bear to look at him.  
  
"No, Wesley. Your father. Jack didn't have the defect. Wesley, Jack wasn't your real father."  
  
Wesley had known the answers to all of his questions. In his mind, he had come to terms with the truth before beginning his quest months ago. Now, however, it was still disturbing to hear his mother actually say it. He forced his voice to remain as calm as possible. One more question needed to be answered.  
  
"Then who is my real father?"  
  
She remained silent. Wesley eased himself down from the bed and placed his hands on her shoulders to steady her. He forced his voice to sound as non- threatening as possible.  
  
"Mom, I need you to tell me the truth."  
  
After a moment, she opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She took another shaky breath and tried again.  
  
"He doesn't know he's your father," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "I didn't even know until a few minutes ago."  
  
It was not the answer he had hoped for, but at least she was still talking. Gently, he pulled her close to him. She reluctantly returned his embrace, but he could feel she was trembling in his arms. When she seemed to relax a little, he asked his final question.  
  
"Mom, I know this is hard for you, but I need you to tell me who he is. Don't you think we both deserve to know the truth?"  
  
For the first time in a long while, Beverly faced her son. "Yes," she replied hoarsely. "It's time you both learned the truth." She paused for a moment to gather her courage and then looked directly into his eyes. "Your father is Jean-Luc Picard."  
  
Wesley let out a breath slowly and closed his eyes. Half the battle had been won, but he didn't feel like celebrating. His mother had just admitted that she had been unfaithful to the only man he had ever known as his father.  
  
"Were you in love with him?"  
  
Beverly looked up at her son again, a look of desperation on her face at the question. She had to make Wesley understand what had happened and why. There was no way to excuse her own behavior, but she couldn't let Wesley blame Jean-Luc for that night.  
  
"No, no, Wesley, we were friends. All of us were, Jean-Luc, Jack, Walker, but I was only in love with your father. He meant everything to me." Beverly looked down at her hands, her voice only above a whisper. "Jean- Luc doesn't remember anything about that night. He just. he needed someone so desperately. I didn't mean it to go so far. He was so helpless. I'd never seen him like that before." She looked back up at her son. "But what your father and I had was special. You must believe me, Wesley, I never intended to do anything to harm that."  
  
"So Dad never knew?"  
  
"No. You were his son, Wesley, and he loved you with all of his being. Even if he would have found out, he would still have loved you." She looked away from him again. "I can image what you must be thinking right now. I couldn't blame you if you hated me."  
  
Wesley debated whether to take the conversation any further. His mother had admitted to him that Picard was his real father. She did not need to tell him any more about their night together, but she still needed to tell Picard.  
  
"I'm not sure how I should feel, but I don't hate you, Mom. I just don't know what I'm supposed to do now. How can I see the captain again, knowing that he's my real father when he doesn't know? Doesn't he deserve to know that he has a son?"  
  
Beverly was quiet for a moment. After running the tests, she knew that she would have to tell both Wesley and Jean-Luc the truth.  
  
"Yes, he deserves to know the truth. It's just that I never expected this to happen, Wesley. I never really considered that you weren't Jack's son. Now, things are different between Jean-Luc and me. I'm not sure how to tell him. I know it sounds selfish, but I don't want to lose him now. I'm afraid of what he might do when he finds out."  
  
Wesley took his mother's hands in his own. "Mom, the captain loves you. I know he does. You can get through this."  
  
A faint smile fell on Beverly's face as she looked up again at her son's gentle eyes. The contempt she now felt for herself did not reflect on his face and she didn't really understand why. She knew she didn't deserve it, but she accepted his understanding and strength.  
  
"Thank you, Wesley."  
  
As he embraced her once again, the doors to sickbay opened. Picard saw them standing in the middle of the room and was relieved to see that Wesley appeared uninjured. After the incident on the holodeck, Will reported to him that Wesley had been taken to sickbay. He quickly moved to place a hand on the young man's shoulder.  
  
"Wesley, are you all right?"  
  
The young man loosened his embrace on his mother and smiled at the captain.  
  
"Yes, sir. Everything is fine. It's good to see you again, sir."  
  
"It's good to see you too." He glanced over to Beverly and was concerned that she had yet to look at him. "What happened? Will said that you had been injured in a fight."  
  
Wesley pulled away completely from his mother and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "It's a long story, sir. Right now, however, I have some things to take care of. I'll see you later."  
  
Picard thought it odd that Wesley would leave so abruptly, but merely nodded at the young man as he left sickbay.  
  
"Beverly, what's going on?"  
  
She looked up at him and placed her hand gently on his chest.  
  
"Jean-Luc, we need to talk. Could we go back to your quarters?"  
  
Picard didn't like being kept in the dark, but nodded at her as he placed his hand around her back and guided her out the door. He knew something had happened that Beverly was not yet ready to discuss. They walked silently to his quarters. He was willing to give her the time she needed. When they arrived, he walked over to the replicator as she sat down on the couch.  
  
"Would you like some tea?"  
  
She smiled sadly at him across the room, seeing the concern in his eyes and hoping what she was about to tell him wouldn't destroy his feelings for her.  
  
"Yes, thank you."  
  
Picard ordered tea for each of them and carried it to the couch, handing Beverly her cup before taking his seat beside her.  
  
She gazed at the steaming liquid for a moment before taking a tentative sip and placing the cup on the table. Picard followed her lead and placed his own cup on the table beside hers as he waited patiently for her to begin speaking.  
  
She looked up at him briefly and then turned her eyes again toward the teacup.  
  
"Jean-Luc, I .." She stopped, not knowing where to begin. She sprang from the couch and walked from one side of the room to the other, finally stopping at the view port and crossing her arms.  
  
He rose from the couch quietly and walked behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders.  
  
"Beverly, whatever it is, we can make it through it together. We always have." When she didn't reply, he decided that perhaps he could help her along a little. "Did Wesley not approve of us being together?"  
  
She turned in his arms quickly, startled by his question. "What?"  
  
Picard was confused by the sudden fear he saw in her eyes. Had she not told Wesley that they were together? "I thought you were going to tell him about us at dinner tonight. Didn't you tell him?"  
  
Beverly took a quick breath and thought back to their conversation before dinner. In her mind, it seemed so long ago. So much had happened since then.  
  
"Yes, I told him." She pulled away again and walked across the room. "He was very happy for us," she said absently.  
  
Now, Picard was even more confused. If Wesley approved of their relationship, what could have her so distraught? He walked up behind her cautiously and took her by the hand, tugging her gently toward the couch again.  
  
Once they were seated again, he pulled her into his arms, her head resting on his shoulder, and began to stroke her back gently with his hand.  
  
"Jean-Luc, I don't know what to say."  
  
Picard signed and continued to caress her back. He was getting frustrated by her silence, but knew he shouldn't push her. "Why don't you just start at the beginning and we'll take it from there?"  
  
Beverly took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she snuggled closer into his embrace.  
  
"I ran some tests on Wesley after he was injured on the holodeck, just to make sure I wouldn't miss anything." She was quite for a moment and Picard waited for her to continue.  
  
"The tests revealed a small defect in the parietal lobe of his brain." Beverly bit her lip and hoped that by some miracle he would make the connection.  
  
The words sounded strangely familiar to Picard, but he was more concerned with the woman he held in his arms than remembering where he had heard them.  
  
He held her tighter. "Is he going to be all right?"  
  
Beverly took a shaky breath, bracing herself for what she was about to tell him.  
  
"We don't know. It may make him susceptible to certain diseases later in life, but there's no way to tell for now."  
  
Picard concern for the boy was overtaken by his confusion. He *had* heard these words before. Beverly had said the same thing, about him, in the alternative universe he had visited with Q. He pulled her out of his embrace and held her by the shoulders to look her at her face.  
  
"Beverly, I don't understand."  
  
She looked away from his gaze for a brief moment, but then forced herself to look back into his eyes.  
  
"Jean-Luc, Wesley has the same defect that you have. He's your son."  
  
He let go his grip and his arms fell limply by his sides as he leaned back into the couch. He racked his brain for an explanation of what he had just been told.  
  
"But that's not possible," he whispered. He returned his gaze to her and raised his voice to a normal level. "Beverly, how can Wesley be my son? We'd never been together before a few weeks ago and you know that."  
  
Beverly took a deep breath. "Jean-Luc, we were together once before. You just don't remember it," she replied slowly.  
  
Picard rose from the couch and walked a few paces before turning sharply back to her. His voice was near a shout now.  
  
"'Don't remember it?' What the devil are you talking about, Beverly? How the hell could I not remember it?"  
  
She looked him straight in the eye and spoke firmly. "Do you remember the weekend you father died?"  
  
Picard's mouth flew open and he froze in his place. "No," he replied quietly. "At least, not all of it." He faced the view port and didn't speak for several moments. "I remember the funeral, fighting with Robert, but not much after that until I woke up at Walker's house."  
  
"Romulan Ale will do that to you. That's one of the reasons it's illegal," she added quietly.  
  
Picard remained with his back toward Beverly and he lowered his head. She had walked up behind him, needing to be close to him, but afraid of it at the same time. He could feel her presence behind him and closed his eyes. When they had been linked mentally on Kes-Prytt, Beverly learned of his love for her so many years ago, but he thought that he had controlled his actions. He had always felt guilty about his feelings for his best friend's wife. Now, he had to know the depth of his guilt.  
  
"Did I .. Did I hurt you?" he asked.  
  
Beverly took the chance at closing the distance between him and touched him on the back lightly. He stiffened at her touch.  
  
"No," she answered. "It wasn't like that, Jean-Luc. You didn't do anything that I didn't allow you to do." She turned away from him and walked a few paces to the other side of his quarters. She needed him to know that he was not the one at fault that evening. "Walker asked me to come over to his house when you showed up after the funeral. He had to report to headquarters and didn't want to leave you alone. Of course, I went. We were friends, right, and I knew you were hurting. When I got there, you were sitting alone in his study, just staring out the window. Walker asked me to fix you something to eat and said he'd be back in a few hours."  
  
She paused for a moment, giving him time to absorb what she was telling him. He remained silent. "I went to the study and tried to talk to you. I wasn't even sure if you knew I was there. You hadn't looked away from the window since I entered the room, so I walked over and sat on the chair beside you. When I touched your arm, you finally faced me." She brushed a tear away from her cheek and continued. "You just sat there, looking at me. I'd never seen so much pain on anyone's face before, so much despair." She began pacing the room. "I couldn't stand it, seeing so much pain. I didn't know what to do, what to say, so I just pulled you close and held you as you cried on my shoulder. After a few minutes, one thing led to another. I was willing to do anything to make the pain go away. Later, when Walker came home, I told him you were asleep and I left. When I saw you a couple of days later, I realized that you didn't remember any of what happened. You didn't even remember my being there."  
  
Picard had not moved a muscle since Beverly began to tell him of their night together. "So you decided not to tell me, even after you found out you were pregnant?"  
  
"What did you expect me to do Jean-Luc?" she pleaded. "What good would it have done to tell you what happened? I didn't know that Wesley wasn't Jack's son. The possibility was so remote that I didn't really consider it. How could I tell either of you that there was even a chance? Jack wanted a family and you had made it perfectly clear that you didn't. I couldn't do that to either one of you."  
  
Her words stung him, but deep down, he knew that she was right. At that time in his life, he did not want the responsibility of a family. He was angered though by her more recent deception. Perhaps she didn't know that Wesley was his son, but she did know that it was possible. She had many opportunities to tell him the truth since they had been together aboard the Enterprise. Even after his confession on Kes-Prytt, she had kept the truth hidden from him. He turned to face her, his anger evident on his face.  
  
"And after all this time, you still didn't tell me the truth, even after all we've been through together?"  
  
"No," she replied quietly, offering no excuse for her deception.  
  
"And what are we supposed to do now, go on as if nothing has changed? Well, I don't know if I can do that, Beverly. How could you have kept this from me? I thought we meant more to each other than that." He paused for a moment, realization coming over his face. "If Wesley hadn't been injured on the holodeck, you wouldn't have told me at all, would you?"  
  
She stared at the floor, shaken by his rage, but fully expecting it.  
  
"Answer me, damn it?"  
  
She looked up at the anger in his eyes and answered just as sternly. "I don't know." Brushing a tear away with her hand, she turned away again and repeated her reply softly. "I don't know anything any more."  
  
Picard was taken aback by the disparity he heard in her last words. He was angry, perhaps more angry that he had ever been with her, but he was also suddenly aware of the emotional toll this had taken on her. As she stood with her back to him, he noticed that her shoulders were trembling. He realized that neither of them was in any condition to continue. They were both too emotionally raw. He took a deep breath to quell his anger and closed his eyes. He was about to open them again when he heard a faint, "I'm sorry, Jean-Luc," and the sound of his cabin door opening. Before he could utter a word, she was gone. For a brief moment, he considered chasing after her, but then thought better of it. Perhaps they both needed time alone.  
  
Beverly was frantic. In a matter of an hour, her whole world had crashed in around her. She had hidden from the guilt of her actions for over 20 years, but now there was nowhere else to hide. Jean-Luc knew of her deception. Wesley knew of her deception. Now, she couldn't even hide from her own ignorance. She could live with the guilt when she could still believe that Wesley was Jack's son. It was easier to justify her actions when they had no consequences, but now that had all changed.  
  
Before walking out of Jean-Luc's quarters, she could feel his eyes on her back. She couldn't stand it any longer. She had to get away, but where could she go? Wesley was probably in her quarters, waiting for her return. She wasn't ready to face him again. He had been so understanding in sickbay, but now that he had time to think about it, would he be so forgiving? Would he hate her as much as she now believed Jean-Luc hated her, as much as she hated herself?  
  
As she strode down the corridors, Beverly considered going to see Deanna or Will. Both were her friends, but they were also Jean-Luc's friends and she couldn't speak to them about this. It was the least she could do to protect Jean-Luc's privacy. More than her need to talk, she needed someone to hold her, to tell her that everything was going to be all right. She needed someone who was far enough away from the situation to be non- judgmental, but someone who knew her well enough to understand the weight of her guilt.  
  
She leaned against the turbolift's wall, trying to find her voice.  
  
"Computer, location of Vic Fontaine."  
  
**********************  
  
Will's eyes flew open at the sound of the computer alert. Nudging the warm body next to him, he threw his legs over the edge of the bed.  
  
"Hey, wake up. Someone just inquired about Vic."  
  
"What?" she replied sleepily. "Vic's a hologram."  
  
Will sighed and nudged her again, frustrated by her lack of response. "We know that, but not everyone does, remember? Now wake up."  
  
Deanna rolled over quickly and jumped from the bed, suddenly realizing what Will was saying.  
  
"Computer, who inquired about Vic Fontaine, and where are they now?" she said steadily.  
  
"Dr. Beverly Crusher has asked about the whereabouts of Vic Fontaine. Dr. Crusher is located in turbolift seven."  
  
Her eyes widened as she shot a look at Will. He shrugged back at her. Forcing her mind to focus for a moment, she thought about the most logical course of action.  
  
"Computer, inform Dr. Crusher that Vic Fontaine is located in Holodeck 3. Then activate program Worf Seven Beta Two in that holodeck." She looked over at Will again. "What time is it?"  
  
Checking the chronometer, Will responded. "23:22 hours."  
  
"Computer, set the time index on the program at just after the final performance of the show."  
  
The computer beeped and responded to her request. "Program activated."  
  
Deanna threw herself back on the bed. "That was close. I don't know how much longer we can keep this up."  
  
Will leaned back against the headboard. "What do you mean 'we,' Counselor? You can keep me out of it. Do you know what kind of trouble I would have been in if Vic hadn't told me the Anticans and security were all holograms? This is *your* game. I still plan on making captain someday."  
  
She wiped the grin off his face with the flop of her pillow. "Don't give me that innocent look, Will Riker. You're in this just as deep as I am and you know it. Now, help me add some safeguards to the computer and maybe we'll both get out of this with our ranks intact."  
  
*******************  
  
The computer let out what Beverly could only describe as a "confused" bleep before asking her to stand by. It finally indicated that Vic was still on the holodeck and she instructed the turbolift to take her to that deck.  
  
She was relieved that Vic was still at his program. Even though she considered him a friend, she wouldn't have felt comfortable meeting him in his quarters, especially in her emotional state. She needed the safety of neutral ground. When the doors opened, she saw him leaning against the bar, looking at what resembled old-fashioned ledgers. For a brief moment, Beverly thought it strange that Vic still apparently kept records on paper, but quickly put the thought out of her mind. She needed to speak with him about much more important issues and was relieved to find that they were alone on the holodeck.  
  
Vic looked up from the bar when he heard the doors open and smiled at the doctor. His smile quickly faded, however, when he saw the look of anguish on Beverly's face. He crossed the room to where she stood and studied her for a brief moment before silently opening his arms to her. She welcomed his embrace and they stood there for several minutes, his soft words of comfort flowing over her as she wept.  
  
"Want to tell me about it?" he asked softly when her sobbing subsided. He pulled back from their embrace to look at her face, but she kept her head bowed. Gently, he reached for her hand and guided her toward the bar. "Come over here and sit down for a minute." When she was seated, he took a handkerchief from in his coat pocket and dabbed away the tears that streaked her cheeks. She looked up at his face and couldn't help but let out a sad laugh.  
  
"I must be a sight, coming in here like this."  
  
Vic smiled softly back at her. "I've seen worse sights." Another brief smile faded from her face and she looked down again, embarrassed by her earlier breakdown.  
  
"I'm not really sure why I'm here. I guess I just needed someone to talk to."  
  
"People say I'm a pretty good listener. Want to give it a try?" She nodded. "Why don't you just start at the beginning?"  
  
"The beginning?" She laughed again uneasily. "That was quite a long time ago. We might be here for a while."  
  
He placed his hand on her shoulder softly. "I've got all the time you need."  
  
She looked up at his eyes again, grateful for the sincerity she saw there. After taking a deep breath, Beverly began to recount the events of the last few hours, starting with the discovery in sickbay and Wesley's reaction to the news. Vic listened patiently, interrupting only to pour them both a glass of wine, until she finished the story by telling him about the fight with Jean-Luc in his quarters.  
  
"I guess I never really expected any of this to happen. I had buried that night so deep in my mind that at times I could almost convince myself that it really didn't happen, that it was all just some sort of surreal dream."  
  
Vic picked up his glass and studied its contents for a moment before looking back at her.  
  
"So, do you regret what happened between you and Jean-Luc that night at Walker's?"  
  
Beverly looked up at him, shocked that he even asked the question.  
  
"Of course I do. If I hadn't spent the night with Jean-Luc, none of this would have happened."  
  
He looked at her sternly. "And Wesley wouldn't have been born, not the Wesley you know at least. You might have had other children with Jack, but not the son you have now. Would you be willing to give that up?"  
  
"Vic, that's not a fair question. That's now what this is about. It's about faithfulness and honesty, not about who Wesley's real father is."  
  
"No one said life was fair, Beverly. Life's a crapshoot. What you have to do now is decide how to play the cards you've been dealt. You can't change the past so you just have to decide how to deal with the present."  
  
"And how and I supposed to do that?" she asked quietly.  
  
He reached out and took her face in his hands, forcing her to look him in the eyes.  
  
"Beverly, you've got a son and a man who love you deeply. Be honest with them. Tell them how you feel. If they love you half as much as I believe they do, it will work out. Just give them a chance."  
  
She smiled at him weakly and reached up to gently remove his hands from her face, squeezing them slightly as she held his hands between them.  
  
"Are you going to be all right?" he asked quietly.  
  
She nodded slowly and embraced him. After a moment, he pulled back and looked at her.  
  
"Beverly, there's one thing I don't understand. Why didn't you ever check to see if the captain was Wesley's father?"  
  
She looked down, considering her answer. "I don't know really. I guess I didn't think it was possible. Unexpected pregnancies are unheard of these days. Jack and I were trying to have a baby. Otherwise, Star Fleet's requires their officers to protect themselves so I'm sure Jean-Luc would have had an implant. I still don't understand it. Jean-Luc shouldn't have been able to .. Oh, my God." Beverly eyes widened as she clutched Vic's arms.  
  
"Beverly, what's wrong?"  
  
"The ale. That's what happened, Vic. Jean-Luc had been drinking Romulan Ale."  
  
Vic shook his head in confusion. "I don't understand. What's Romulan Ale got to do with anything?"  
  
Beverly laughed dryly. "I guess I should have paid more attention in med school when they talked about illegal drugs." The look on Vic's face told her that he still didn't understand. "That's another reason Romulan Ale is illegal. It inhibits the medication used in the Federation implants," she replied shyly.  
  
Vic nodded. "Oh, I see. And I thought smoking pot could get you in trouble." She looked at him curiously and he shrugged. "Never mind." He reached for her hands and squeezed them lightly. "You going to be okay now?"  
  
She nodded and smiled weakly. "You're a good friend, Vic. Thank you for listening."  
  
He chuckled. "It's the least I could do, especially after causing so much trouble."  
  
She pulled back and looked at him, questioning his response.  
  
"Never mind. It doesn't matter now. Go talk to your captain and your son. You've got a new life to build together. Just remember that I'm here if you need me, okay."  
  
She nodded again and forced another smile as she turned to exit the holodeck.  
  
*****************  
  
Picard was standing at the view port when the door chime shook him from his thoughts. He had no idea how long he had been standing there, mulling over the events of the last few hours. He knew Beverly would not return to his quarters tonight and wondered who would be calling at this late hour.  
  
Reluctantly, he beckoned the intruder to enter. When the door opened, the image in the doorway caused his breath to catch in his throat.  
  
"Captain, could I speak to you for a moment, sir?" Wesley asked as he stood in the open doorway.  
  
For a moment, Picard stood frozen at the view port, his mouth slightly open as he looked over his shoulder to the door. He had not prepared himself for this meeting and felt decidedly unsure of himself.  
  
"I could come back later, if this is not a good time, sir," he stated as he backed away slightly after receiving no response from the captain.  
  
Picard shook himself mentally and turned quickly toward the doorway, taking a quick step and then stopping abruptly, afraid his sudden movement might somehow frighten him away.  
  
"No, please," he called out, a little more forcefully than he had intended. He lowered his voice and took a shaky breath. "Wesley, please come in. Forgive me. I just wasn't expecting any visitors. Please, sit down." Picard motioned to the couch as the young man slowly made his way across the room and took a seat. "Would you like something to drink?"  
  
Wesley shook his head. "No thank you, sir."  
  
Picard forced an uneasy smile and sat down across from him. He had no idea what to say next.  
  
Had it not been for the seriousness of the meeting, Wesley would have been amused by the captain's uneasiness. He had always thought that Picard could handle any situation, no matter what the problem, whether it was a crisis involving two warring planets, the threat of a Romulan invasion or even a visit from Counselor Troi's mother. It was a little unexpected to find Picard so nervous and unsure of himself. Wesley, however, recognized the fact that he had the advantage of time. He had known that Picard was his father for several months and had grown somewhat accustomed to the idea.  
  
After several moments, Wesley decided to break the silence between them.  
  
"Sir, I just thought it would be a good idea if we could talk. I know this has been a shock to you. It was to me as well." He paused so Picard could respond if he wanted.  
  
The captain looked briefly at his hands and then back to the young man.  
  
"Wesley, I don't know what to say. This is all very new to me," he said slowly.  
  
"I realize that, sir. I don't really know what to say either. I just wanted you to know that I'm *okay* with this." It was Wesley's turn to look down at his hands. He had hoped to better explain what he wanted to say. "I don't know if I'm making any sense or not. What I'm trying to say, Captain, is I hope this doesn't change anything between us, just because you're my real father. I mean, you've always been there for Mom and me. I guess I just don't want to lose that."  
  
Picard was no less than shocked by Wesley's statement. He expected him to be confused, if not furious, about what Beverly had told them. He certainly didn't expect Wesley to be concerned about losing their present relationship. Despite his earlier uneasiness, he couldn't stop a small smile from forming on his face as he studied the young man before him. He didn't quite know how to define the sudden flood of emotions that overcame him. They were a combination of relief, wonder, and most of all, pride, not in himself, but for the man sitting across from him. He ran his hand over his head, trying to give himself time to choose his words carefully.  
  
"Wesley, again I find myself at a loss for words, except to say that I will always be here if you need me. Your *father* was a very caring and strong man and I'm proud to have called him my friend, but I in no way wish to replace him in your life. He will always be your father, Wesley, regardless of the genetics, and I will always see him when I look at you. I think he would be very proud of the man you have become and the life you've chosen. It is my hope that you will also allow *me* to become a part of that life."  
  
Wesley smiled. "You have always been a part of my life, sir, and you always will be."  
  
Picard looked down at his hands and took a deep breath. "I also feel that I need to apologize for what happened between your mother and I, Wesley. I think you know that I've always had *feelings* for your mother and I have no excuse for what happened between us. It was never my intention .."  
  
"Captain, you don't need to say any more. Mom told me what happened. I don't pretend to understand it fully, but it was a long time ago. I know how Dad felt about you and I know that you would never have intentionally hurt him or my mother."  
  
Picard started to speak, but Wesley held up his hand to stop him.  
  
"Wait, I need to say this sir. What's important is what happens now, and right now, you and my mother belong together. She needs you, Captain, and I think you need her too. Don't let what happened 25 years ago destroy what you have together now. She never intended to hurt anyone either."  
  
Picard contemplated the young man's words thoroughly before looking up at Wesley. Beverly's deception had hurt him, but he understood her reasons. Wesley was right that what was important was what happened now, but he was unsure how Beverly felt toward him after their earlier argument. He had said things that he now regretted.  
  
"Wesley, I realize why your mother never told either of us the truth. Things would have been very different now, if she had." Picard stood up and crossed the room, facing the view port. "Perhaps, she was right in not telling us. I don't know how I would have reacted 25 years ago." He paused for a moment. "I do know that right now, I love your mother and want to share the rest of my life with her. However, after what's happened, after what I said to her a while ago, I'm not sure she still feels the same way."  
  
Wesley stood up and crossed the room to stand a few feet behind Picard.  
  
"I think you're wrong there, sir. I know my mother still loves you. If you will give her a chance, the two of you can work this out." Wesley let out a short laugh. "But I do know one other thing. You'll have to go to her. She can be a little stubborn and sometimes she doesn't think things through before she acts."  
  
Picard looked over his shoulder and chuckled. "You know your mother pretty well."  
  
Wesley smiled back at him. "Yes sir, I do, and right now, I would imagine she sitting in her quarters, probably wondering if she can stow away on the next shuttle scheduled to leave the Enterprise." Wesley paused for a moment before continuing. "Well, I've said what I came here to say, Captain. Commander Riker has set me up in my own quarters for tonight and I think I could use a good night's sleep. I'll see you in the morning. Good night, sir."  
  
Picard nodded and followed Wesley to the door. He reached for the young man's hand.  
  
"Good night, Wesley, and thank you."  
  
When the doors closed, Picard returned to his spot near the view port. Taking a deep breath and letting it out quickly, he tugged at the hem of his uniform shirt and cleared his throat. "Computer," he called out in a steady voice, "location of Dr. Crusher."  
  
**********************  
  
When Beverly gained the courage to return to her quarters, she was surprised to find them empty. For a brief moment, she considered asking the computer for Wesley's location, but quickly decided against it, afraid that the answer might reveal that he was no longer aboard the ship. She really couldn't blame him if he had left, but wasn't prepared to face that bit of knowledge if it were true.  
  
Despite Vic's comments to the contrary, she found herself doubting the possibility that she would ever regain her relationships with Jean-Luc or her son. She couldn't imagine either of them trusting her again.  
  
Throwing herself down on the sofa, she closed her eyes and let out a sigh, determined not to let the tears overtake her again. So much had happened in the last few hours, the thought of it overwhelmed her. It was like she had just awoken from a nightmare, the horrors of the dream still lingering in her mind. Only, this was real and it wouldn't go away with the advent of wakefulness. Her first thought was to run away, to hide from the truth that had so blatantly shown its snakelike head that evening.  
  
For a brief moment, she considered packing her bags and leaving. There were plenty of places in the universe that Jean-Luc would never find her, some that might even be beyond Wesley's grasp. She shook herself and sighed again. This is ridiculous, she thought. Running away wasn't the answer. She couldn't run away from herself, no matter where she went. Indeed, ignorance had been bliss, but now she needed to face the truth, no matter how painful and no matter the consequences.  
  
The thought of facing Jean-Luc again made her shudder. Wiping a traitorous tear from her cheek, she stood and requested a cup of lemon tea from the replicator. She stared at the steaming cup for a few moments after it appeared; never bothering to take it from the replicator slot, as another tear threatened to follow the first. "Damn," she said aloud, before retreating into the bathroom. After a few moments, she returned to the replicator and stared at the cup again.  
  
"It will get cold if you don't drink it soon."  
  
She jumped at the rumble of his voice and whirled quickly to see him leaning against the view port.  
  
"Jean-Luc, I . I didn't hear you come in," she said softly as she tore her eyes away from him to look at the floor.  
  
The captain took a deep breath and let it out slowly, joining his hands behind his back as he walked a few paces towards her. She had yet to look back up at him.  
  
"I thought about ringing the chime, but didn't know if you felt like answering the door." He took another slow step towards her. "So, I just let myself in. I hope you don't mind," he asked cautiously, still weighing her mood and not wanting to upset her further. In reality, he knew that she probably did mind him coming to her quarters unannounced, but he also knew that they needed to talk and they needed to do it now. If he had given her the option of not letting him in, their relationship could have been yet further damaged. When she didn't respond, he continued cautiously. "I wanted to make sure you were all right."  
  
She raised her eyes slowly after his last comment, her lip trembling slightly, but she made no effort to answer him, unable to trust her own voice and not knowing what she would say if she could. After a few seconds, she returned her gaze to the floor.  
  
Picard chided himself as soon as the words left his lips, knowing full well that she was, most definitely, not all right and regretting that the words seemed shallow, even to his own ears. He would try again.  
  
"Wesley came to see me a while ago."  
  
She looked up at him quickly, but spoke just above a whisper. "I'm sorry, Jean-Luc, I never meant for any of this to happen. I know that must be difficult for you."  
  
"No, don't be sorry." He paused for a moment, a slight grin appearing on his face. "We had a very, um, *interesting* conversation, actually. He's really quite a remarkable man, you know, Beverly."  
  
She nodded absently as her gaze returned to the floor and she took a deep breath. "Was he very upset?"  
  
"Upset?" He shook his head and ran a hand slowly over his bald plate. "No, I wouldn't say he was upset, exactly. He was a little nervous, I presume, but most of all, he wanted to find out how *we* were going to handle all of this. He didn't want it to have an adverse influence on our present relationships."  
  
For the first time since Picard had entered the room, Beverly smiled slightly and shook her head.  
  
"It seems he's handling it a lot better than we are."  
  
Picard was encouraged by her smile and took another step toward her. "I think you're right. Perhaps we should learn something from him." He was close enough now to touch her and reached for her hand. She jerked slightly at the feel of his fingers against her own, but did not pull away. "He reminded me of something very important," he continued softly. "What's past is past, Beverly. We can't change what's happened before between us." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He lifted her face with his free hand, forcing her eyes to meet his own. "And to be perfectly honest, I don't want to change it. I have loved you from the first time I laid eyes on you and I don't see how I could ever regret a product of that love. I love you, Beverly Crusher, with every fiber of my being and *nothing* would ever change that." He closed the distance between them and kissed her slowly, tenderly, on the lips.  
  
When the kiss ended, Beverly gazed with wonder at the pair of hazel eyes in front of her. Vic had been right. She was blessed with a man and a son who loved her deeply. And despite the fact she didn't believe she deserved their love, she relished it in and let it envelope her in its comfort. This time, she didn't try to hold back the tears that streamed down her cheeks as she smiled back at him.  
  
"I love you, Jean-Luc Picard."  
  
He slowly wiped the tears with his hand and returned her smile. "Promise me there will be no more tears tonight, my love." He smiled even brighter. "Unless they are happy ones."  
  
Beverly kissed his palm tenderly. "Yes, love, very happy ones."  
  
******************  
  
Picard awoke to a light caress across his forehead and cheek. His eyes still closed, he instinctively reached for the hand that trailed its way down to his bare chest. He pulled her gently from her perch on the side of the bed until she rested on top of him.  
  
"Good morning," she said, her blue eyes sparkling as she gazed down at his smile.  
  
"Good morning, indeed," he countered, pulling her down for a tender kiss. "Have I told you lately how much I adore you?"  
  
Her smile brightened, a hint of mischievousness in her eyes. "Not in the last few minutes, Captain, but your actions last night were very .. " She paused to kiss him again. "Very, convincing."  
  
"Hmmm. I'm not sure I completely got my point across. Perhaps I should double my efforts to make sure there are no misunderstandings."  
  
She laughed and raised an eyebrow as she traced a nail down his chest. "As your doctor, my dear Captain, I must warn you that doubling your efforts could put a serious strain on that heart of yours."  
  
"I'm willing to take my chances," he replied, taking her fully in his arms for a passionate kiss.  
  
After a few moments, Beverly pulled away from his embrace. He playfully pulled her back down to the bed and pealed her silk robe down one shoulder, kissing her on the neck and shoulder. It took all of her resolve to try and pull away again.  
  
"Jean-Luc, we really have to get up," she said weakly.  
  
"Why?" he replied, only disengaging from her neck for the brief second it took to utter the word, before resuming his attack on her creamy flesh.  
  
Beverly closed her eyes and let out a slight moan, thoroughly enjoying his attention, but knowing in the back of her mind there was some reason they needed to get dressed.  
  
"Why?" Beverly repeated weakly. "Because ..." Jean-Luc had now moved his attack to her collarbone and was progressively trailing lower. He was rewarded by a slightly louder moan. "Because .. I don't know why."  
  
"It must not .. be .. very .. important then," he mumbled, never giving up his assault.  
  
Two hours later, Picard was awakened again, this time by the chime of the door. He couldn't imagine who in their right mind would be calling at this time of the morning. It was barely 08:00 hours and he had arranged earlier for both of them to have the day off because of Wesley's visit.  
  
For a moment, he considered answering the door himself, but reconsidered. He was, after all, in Beverly's quarters and though their relationship was not a secret on the ship, he didn't feel it appropriate for him to answer her door, especially considering the only handy clothing was a robe he kept in her quarters. He reached over and lightly shook the sleeping woman next to him.  
  
"Beverly, wake up," he whispered.  
  
"Hmmmm?" she replied dreamily.  
  
"Beverly, someone's at your door."  
  
Realization hitting her, Beverly's eyes flew open and she sprang from the bed, stopping and turning abruptly back to Jean-Luc. "Oh my God, Jean-Luc. What time is it?" Not waiting for a response, she grabbed her robe, which had been discarded earlier on the floor and struggled to put it on. "I tried to tell you this morning, but noooo, *you* wanted to play. Now look where it's gotten us."  
  
Picard was now sitting on the edge of the bed, confused by the panic he heard in Beverly's voice. He stood up and placed his hands on her shoulders, hoping to calm her down enough to make sense.  
  
"Beverly, take a deep breath and slow down." Frustrated, she dropped her hands from the ties of the robe, which had refused to cooperate in her struggle to put it on. After a few seconds, he was satisfied that she was a little calmer. "Okay, now let's try again."  
  
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "It's Wesley. I left a message this morning for him to come by for breakfast. *That's* why I tried to get you up this morning." He raised an eyebrow and a smile crossed the captain's face at her choice of words. He was about to reply when she raised a hand to stop him. "And don't say it. I'm not in the mood for your smart remarks."  
  
The chime rang again and Beverly's eyes pleaded for Jean-Luc's understanding. She wasn't ready for Wesley to gain first hand knowledge of her sex life.  
  
Picard chuckled and helped her untangle the tie of her robe. "Beverly, it will be all right. I don't think Wesley will be surprised that I am here. Last night, he practically ordered me to come here after you and made it a point that he was spending the night elsewhere." Her attire arranged properly, he gave her a quick kiss. "Now, go greet your son for breakfast and I'll get dressed. I'll be out in a moment."  
  
She nodded reluctantly and headed toward the living room, closing the bedroom door behind her. After taking another deep breath, she walked over to the replicator and called for Wesley to enter her quarters.  
  
Wesley took a tentative step inside his mother's cabin, looking around expectantly for any sign that she was not alone.  
  
"Hi Mom. I hope that I'm not too early."  
  
He proceeded into the living area, noticing nothing out of the ordinary. He had almost given up hope when he noticed the bedroom door was uncharacteristically closed. It took all his resolve not to yell a triumphant "Yes !!!" throughout her quarters.  
  
Beverly noticed the small smile that crept on his face, but willed herself to ignore it, focusing instead on keeping her hands from shaking.  
  
"No, not at all. I was just about to order breakfast," she said as casually as possible. She forced a smile and faced him again. "What would you like?"  
  
He sat down on the sofa and gestured innocently back to her. "It doesn't matter, whatever you're having will be fine." He knew he was failing miserably at hiding the satisfied look on his face, but he didn't really care. The closed door, the fact that his mother was obviously trying to hide her nervousness and her state of undress at that time of the morning had convinced him that his plan had worked. Everything was going to be fine now.  
  
She looked back toward the replicator and took anther deep breath. "Right," she breathed out. "Computer, coffee and croissant." She paused for a moment to gather her courage before continuing. "Three orders." She glanced back at Wesley briefly, who was obviously trying to hide his amusement at his mother's discomfort, just as the door to the bedroom slid open.  
  
The captain strode out of the room with his usual spark of authority and ease and immediately approached the sofa, extending his hand confidently.  
  
"Wesley. It's good to see you again. Have you ordered breakfast yet?"  
  
"Captain," the young man replied with a smile as he stood to greet him. "It's very good to see you again, sir, also." After the two shared a knowing smile, he continued. "Actually, I think Mom just ordered us something." The two stared at each other for a moment more until Picard ended the silence and gestured towards the dining table. "Well, then I don't think we should keep the lovely lady waiting, do you?"  
  
Wesley smiled enthusiastically this time, but spoke with the same confidence as Picard. "No, sir. Indeed, we shouldn't."  
  
Beverly breathed a sigh of relief at the ease of which the two men spoke. The awkwardness she had felt that morning was nearly gone by the time they sat down at the table.  
  
They enjoyed their breakfast together, speaking of Wesley's travels, missions the Enterprise had been on since his last visit, friendships they had shared and friends who had moved on to other places. That was when the subject of Worf came up and his connection to Vic Fontaine.  
  
"Deanna tells us that Worf actually introduced her to Vic," Picard added as he smiled over at Beverly. "I must say that I'm certainly glad that he did. If it weren't for him, your mother and I might not be together right now. We owe him a debt of gratitude."  
  
Wesley looked down at his plate and muttered, half to himself, "You're not the only one."  
  
Picard looked back at him. "What was that, Wesley?"  
  
The young man looked up quickly and cleared his throat. "I said. I said you're not the only one that feels that way, about Vic, I mean. I've heard a lot of good things about him."  
  
Picard accepted his statement and nodded. "I was actually thinking about asking him to join us for dinner tonight in Ten-Forward."  
  
"I think that's a great idea, Jean-Luc," Beverly touched his hand and squeezed it lightly. "I'd love to see Vic again before he leaves."  
  
"Yes, I thought that maybe he'd enjoy a night off from the club. I'm sure he can find someone in his group to fill in for him."  
  
Wesley looked from one to the other, a touch of panic going through him, as they made their plans. He had to say something to dissuade them.  
  
"I. I don't think he could really leave the show right now. When I saw him last night he seemed *really* busy, you know, scheduling acts, taking care of the menus, things like that."  
  
His mother looked up at the young man. "I'm sure he's not that busy, Wesley. Besides, everyone deserves some time off every once in a while, and who knows how long it will be before his tour brings him back this way." She looked back to Jean-Luc and smiled. "I think it would be lovely."  
  
The captain smiled back at her. How could he deny her anything? "It's settled then. I'll give him a call later this morning and arrange it. And I won't take "no" for an answer. After all, I'm the captain. I can order him to come," he chuckled.  
  
Wesley looked on as the two smiled at each other again, thankful that they only had eyes for each other and were not paying attention to the look of panic he knew was on his own face. What was he going to do now?  
  
*****************  
  
As soon as it was possible for him to leave his mother's cabin without drawing suspicion, Wesley sought out Deanna. Using Vic had been her idea and she *had* to help him now. As he approached the door to her office, it slid open and a young lieutenant walked out, thanking the counselor as she left.  
  
Deanna saw Wesley standing in the still-opened door and felt his panic.  
  
Without a word, she pulled him into her office and sat him down. There was no need to ask why he was there.  
  
She took a deep breath. "So.. I take it everything didn't work out as planned at Vic's last night?"  
  
Wesley buried his face in his hands. After a moment, he looked up, shook his head and began to laugh nervously. "No, that's not it. That's not it, at all. Everything went *great* last night. In fact, it went better than I could have hoped for."  
  
That was not the answer she had expected.  
  
"Then what's wrong, Wesley? Isn't that what you wanted?"  
  
He stood up quickly and ran his hand through his hair. "Yes, absolutely. It's just what I wanted. I'm not worried about them anymore. They're gonna be fine. It's us I'm worried about now. They're going to kill us, Deanna. Well, maybe not "kill us", but this isn't going to be fun." He paused for a moment, realizing by the look on Deanna's face that she was thoroughly confused. "Deanna, they're going to invite Vic to dinner tonight in Ten Forward and the captain says he won't take no for an answer."  
  
Deanna sat on the sofa and stared out into space for a moment before looking back up at Wesley.  
  
"Why can't they have dinner in the holodeck? We can make up some excuse for Vic that he's just too busy to go out."  
  
Wesley shook his head. "No, I already thought of that. They said that everyone deserved a night off and then the captain joked that he would order Vic to come if he had to. Only, I don't think he was joking, Deanna. I think he was serious." Wesley sat down across from the stunned counselor and leaned forward a bit. "It was would be really great right now, Deanna, if you told me this was all a joke and Vic's a real person," he joked half-heartedly.  
  
Deanna let out a sigh and stood up. "Sorry, Wes. Vic's a hologram and it's impossible for him to leave the holodeck, at least not in our time. I guess we'll just have to tell them the truth and hope for the best."  
  
He looked up quickly. "What did you say?"  
  
Confused, Deanna repeated her last sentence. "I said I guess we'll have to tell them the truth."  
  
Wesley's eyes widened. "No, before that. You said, "not in our time." That's it, Deanna." He stood up abruptly, hugging her before pulling away quickly. "It will work. I know it will. I've got an idea. Listen, when the captain asks Vic to dinner, have him agree. Have him meet them in Ten- Forward at 18:00 hours. Leave the rest to me." Without another word, Wesley walked out of her office, leaving a very stunned counselor in his wake.  
  
*******************  
  
When the doors to Ten-Forward opened, a very confident Vic Fontaine strode in, greeting several friends he had made on the Enterprise before making his way to Picard and Crusher's table.  
  
At a table nearby, Deanna nearly choked on her drink. Wide-eyed, she looked over at her companion, who was grinning from ear to ear. Wesley had absolutely refused to tell Deanna how he was going to accomplish his little miracle, but had convinced her to join him for dinner, nonetheless, to witness the deed. After a moment, she gave in to the satisfied smirk on his face.  
  
"All right, I give up. How did you do it?"  
  
Wesley took a deep breath and crossed his arms as he leaned back into his chair. "It wasn't that hard really, not for an experienced traveler." He was enjoying this.  
  
She tilted her head and smiled. She would indulge his ego. "Okay, so how did a man of your experience pull this off?"  
  
His grin widened. "I sort of borrowed the technology."  
  
"Borrowed?"  
  
He chuckled. "Well, *borrowed* might not be exactly the truth, but I guarantee I'll have it back before they ever miss it." He grinned again and continued. "It's called a mobile emitter. One of the other travelers told me about it a while ago. Some holodoctor in the Delta Quadrant was using one to treat patients all over his ship."  
  
"So, you decided to "borrow" his mobile emitter and gave it to Vic?"  
  
Wesley's grin began to fade. He didn't think Deanna would approve of what he was about to tell her. "Well, not exactly," Wesley added slowly. "I sort of got one from the same place he got his."  
  
She stared at him for a few seconds. She wasn't sure she wanted to know the rest of the story, but her curiosity won out. "And where did he get his?"  
  
He looked up shyly at her. "From the 29th Century. It hasn't *exactly* been invented yet. When I left your office, I traveled to the future and kind of just picked it up."  
  
After all that had happened in the last day, Deanna didn't think anything else could shock her. She was wrong. "Wesley, you traveled to the future and stole a piece of technology?"  
  
He held up his hand in his defense. "I'm going to take it back," he pleaded. "I just needed to use it for tonight. Believe me, no one will ever know that it's gone and no one else here will ever find out about it." He sighed heavily and looked down at the table. "It was the only thing I could think of to do."  
  
Deanna shook her head and laughed lightly. "Well, I guess it's no worse than altering the future. Just so nothing goes wrong," she cautioned him.  
  
He held up his hands again. "Nothing *will* go wrong. I'm sure of it. I calculated every possible outcome. Trust me. This is gonna work."  
  
The confidence she heard in his voice didn't completely convince Deanna. She could feel his nervousness as he looked over at the captain's table.  
  
*********************  
  
"This is very nice, Captain. I don't get out very often. Sometimes I think I live on a holodeck. Thank you for inviting me."  
  
Picard smiled at his guest and then at the lady sitting next to him. "You're very welcomed. We wanted to thank you for all that you've done for us. Though we've only known you for a short time, you've been a good friend to us, Vic."  
  
"Yes, thank you," Beverly added softly. "We owe a lot to you." She leaned over and kissed his cheek, brushing up against something sharp with her arm. When she looked down to see what it was, she noticed a small triangular object attached to Vic's jacket sleeve. "That's a very interesting piece of jewelry. Is it symbolic of something?"  
  
Vic looked over to his arm and shrugged. "Oh, this old thing. No. Actually, Wesley gave it to me. He said it would enhance any activities that I indulged in this evening. I think he found it somewhere in his travels."  
  
Picard's eyebrows shot up slightly and he leaned over a little for a closer look at the object. "Yes, it's very interesting. It looks almost mechanical. I've never seen anything quite like it. Would you mind if I studied it for a moment?" He reached over to touch the item, but Vic pulled back slightly.  
  
"Sorry, Captain. Wesley said I shouldn't take it off until the evening's over. Bad luck or something. And you know how superstitious we performers are," he chuckled.  
  
Picard leaned back in his chair and laughed also. "Well, I don't want to summon any evil spirits, so I guess my curiosity will just have to wait."  
  
A few tables over, Wesley's nearly fainted when he saw the captain reach for the emitter. His sudden grip on Deanna's arm relaxed a little when the captain pulled away. It was going to be a long evening.  
  
***********************  
  
When Will Riker asked the computer for Deanna's whereabouts, he wasn't really surprised to find her in Ten-Forward. It had been a long day and they hadn't spoken since early that morning. He was looking forward to seeing his Imzadi. When the doors slid open, he scanned the room immediately for her. The prominent grin on his face completely disappeared by the time he had cleared the doors and he stopped dead in his tracks, his mouth open slightly. Very few times in his life had Will Riker been at a loss for words, but this was indeed one of those times. There was a hologram in Ten-Forward.  
  
Deanna saw him come in and quickly rose to greet him. He jerked a bit when she grabbed his hand, but allowed her to drag him to her table. She assessed his confusion immediately and didn't want him to make a scene in front of the captain or Beverly.  
  
She pushed him down at the table and looked at Wesley. Will was still dumbstruck, his eyes glued to the captain's table.  
  
When he finally regained his voice, he looked quickly first at Deanna, then at Wesley and then back to Deanna.  
  
"Deanna, what the .."  
  
"Calm down, Will," she said quietly. "It's all right, really. Wesley can explain everything." She looked at the young man sharply. "Can't you, Wesley?"  
  
Riker was ready for an explanation. And his stare told Wesley that he was ready for it now. The young man took a deep breath and began trying to explain the situation as Riker's eyes bore down on him.  
  
"You did WHAT?" Riker nearly shouted at him.  
  
"Will," Deanna pleaded quietly. "Keep your voice down."  
  
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Deanna, weren't you listening? Wesley stole a piece of alien technology, from the future no less, so his mother could have dinner with a hologram! And you knew about this? How could you have gone along with this craziness? If anyone finds out about this, we won't have to worry about being court-martialed, the captain will have us shot!"  
  
"Will, stop being so dramatic. So, we bent a few rules, but look what it's gotten us." Deanna began stroking his arm to calm him down a bit. "Look at the captain and Beverly. Have you ever seen them so happy?" She was nearly purring to him now. "What we did wasn't *that* bad, was it?"  
  
Riker was beginning to give in to her charms, just as she knew he would.  
  
"Well," he began reluctantly. "If we get caught, this is all your fault."  
  
Deanna smiled at her victory. "Of course, it is. And I'll take full responsibility. Besides, we aren't going to get caught. The whole evening has progressed beautifully and it's almost over."  
  
Wesley was amazed at the expertise in which Deanna controlled the commander. Were all women this good at manipulation? As if she had read his thoughts exactly, Deanna shot him a sharp look and he wiped the grin off his face. He certainly didn't want to alienate his partner in crime.  
  
"Captain, it's been a lovely evening, but I really must be going now." Vic stood and shook Jean-Luc's hand as he stood also. He leaned down toward Beverly and kissed her on the cheek. "Beverly, it's been great seeing you again and don't forget what I told you. The future can be a wonderful place if you will just let it happen."  
  
She touched his hand and squeezed it lightly. "Thank you, Vic."  
  
He returned her gentle smile before winking at the captain and bidding them both good night.  
  
At a neighboring table, three audible sighs could be heard throughout that end of the room.  
  
And, finally, all was the way it should have been.  
  
The End 


End file.
